A Net in Time

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Science

The Secret Life of Viruses

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Disclosure: I received an advanced readers copy (The Secret Life of Viruses) through Raincoast Books.

Helping children understand how viruses work is the first step to enabling them to protect themselves in a virus-ridden world.   The Secret Life of Viruses is a picture book geared to helping our younger children understand how viruses work.  This helps them know how to protect themselves and reduces the fear that some children have.  

Affiliate links will be used in my review, no cost to you, and helps to support my blog. 

The secret life of viruses

The Details

Sourcebooks explore, part of sourcebookkids brings us The Secret Life of Viruses by Mariona Tolosa Sistere.   This science-based picturebook is part of the Ellas Educan Collective.   A hardcover version will be available in August 2021.   The Secret Life series also contains the Secret Life of Boogers and the Secret Life of Boo-boos. 

The Ellas Educan Collective is a group of six female scientists.  They wish to promote women in leadership positions.  Their goal is to create a sustainable world, as they empower women and engage people in science.  

The Secret Life of Viruses is written for children 4-8 years and covers 32 pages. Colourful illustrations fill the pages connecting well to the text that is in simple, but informative language.   I received an ARC version from Raincoast. 

I just love picture books that are a combination of good information and good illustrations.  Mariona Tolosa Sistere has given me just that.   Not only does she make the science of understanding how viruses work easy for children, but she writes in an engaging tone. 

In The Secret life of Viruses readers will learn what a virus is, what types of viruses there are, how they reproduce, what they do inside your body, and how they spread.   They will learn what a pandemic is and how to stay healthy.  You’ll even get a history of viruses in history.     The bright colourful images draw in the eye and the shapes would intrigue children. It’s actually kind of fascinating to see all the different shapes that viruses are don’t you think? 

Two pages are devoted to quizz questions with the answers given later. 

Should you get The Secret Life of Viruses

Whether you are young or old, The Secret Life of Viruses is an excellent primer into understanding the world of viruses.   It would work well just for helping elementary students understand viruses and be a good introduction to older students.  I love using picture books with older students as it can spur on questions they have and possible research opportunities. 

It’s not perfect, in places it feels a little “teachery”. But the information presented is solid, and sometimes you need the teacher-aspect to make the point more clear.  🙂   I liked that accurate terminology was used when delineating categories, and simple language was used where it could be easily done.  

From Here to There

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Inventions are often the workings of a society, helping people do things better for themselves or for others.  From Here to There gives us nine stories.  These stories are all about inventions that changed the way the world moves.   From bicycles to wheelchairs all the way up to rockets. 

Affiliate links will be found in this review.  No cost to you, but helps to support my blog. 

from here to there

Throughout history people have needed to get from point a to point b.   In From Here to There, we learn about inventors who have helped us to get more mobile.     

Nine inventors are profiled.

  • Manned balloon flight – Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier
  • Bicycle – Kari Drais 
  • Steam Locomotive – George Stephenson
  • Automobile – Bertha and Karl Benz
  • Bus – Eric Wickman
  • Rocket – Robert Goddard
  • Wheelchair – Herbert Everest/Harry Jennings
  • Robot – George Devol
  • Ship Design – Raye Montague

I received an advanced reader’s copy from Raincoast books.   One of the negative side effects of getting an ARC is that they often arrive in greyscale which makes it hard to share the delight of the images. Almost all of its 96 pages are filled with images created by Gilbert Ford. 

So What Do I Think?

I LOVE the positivity found in almost every story.  The… this is the problem I see, this is how I think we can solve it and this is how we help each other out!  I love it.  I love the “I think I can, so now I’m going to figure out how I can” attitudes shown by each inventor. 

My appreciation for the variety of inventors.  Not all men, nor all women, along with variations in country of origin, skin tone, and backgrounds.  Inventors come from all over the place and it’s fantastic to see!  I loved reading the stories about what inspired each of them, and how they caught a break. 

Can you imagine the usefulness of having a computer help design a ship? It would take so much work to input the data, but then letting a computer figure out the fine details.  HUGE time saver.   Or the ease of having a wheelchair that folds in half?

If you are studying inventors, researching vehicles and/or transportation, important people in history, or just want to read a book that inspires… this is it!  From Here to There is an inspiring read for youth 8-12 years of age.  Author Vivian Kirkfield takes an inventor, shares their childhood dreams.  She then shows pitfalls along the way to success.  Engaging stories within a friendly biographical style. 

Marie’s Ocean

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You know what I love?  Well okay, one of the things I love?   Picture books that have meat to them.  These are books that not only entertain a child, but also teach.  Marie’s Ocean introduces us to the life and work of Marie Tharp.  Don’t know who she is?  A remarkable woman you lived in a time when what women could do work-wise was limited, and yet, she forever left her mark in history.   This is my review for Raincoast books.  

Affiliate links will be used. 

marie's ocean

Who is Marie Tharp

In Marie’s Ocean we get to know about Marie Tharp, a girl who was fascinated by the world from the time she was quite young.  She was determined that one day she would sail on a ship.  One obstacle – she lived in a time when women were not welcome aboard a working ship.  They were considered bad luck… it took years before she was able to work on a ship, but in the meantime, she studied and worked.  Eventually, she proved there was a rift, and through that, the theory of continental drift. 

What do you get?

I received an ARC version of Marie’s Ocean for this review.  You’ll find it comes as a hardcover picturebook of 68 pages.   Published by Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers, and written by Josie James.    After reading this woman’s biography I find myself wondering if Ms. James will tackle any other women of history. 

Written with children 5-9 years old, I can easily see older students using this well-illustrated picture book was a primer for a study of Marie Tharp. 

The finer details for Marie’s Ocean

Josie James is both author and illustrator.    I enjoyed learning how sounding works and seeing the paths the ships took.  It was excellent to learn her work progressed as she worked through her studies. 

This mixed-format picture book is detailed in both illustration and word.  We are privy to her thoughts and explorations, an excellent primer into the life she lived so well. 

I found the variety in which the material was presented an integral part of the story.  Seeing her bravery in standing up for her findings, her dismay that she couldn’t present her own work, observing her discoveries, and the pictures of what it all means. 

Marie's Ocean, sample page

At the close of the book we’re given the rest of Marie’s story and how for so long she and her work forgotten. She is now known as one of the four greatest woman cartographers. 

Should you Get Marie’s Ocean?

If you have any interest in oceanography, geography, science, noted women of history, numerology, or more….you can find much of interest in Marie’s Ocean.  This meaty picturebook is a great introduction to all those fields.  Teaching children what you can do as a woman if you are good with numbers, or are determined to follow your dream, or just want to follow where your research takes you.   

Marie was so patient and yet observant, willing to speak her observations and prove them.  There is so much you can do with it, the biggest of course is… just enjoying the story!  So go out, get a new book for your shelves.  🙂 

Review: NatureGlo’s eScience

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DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

I have reviewed NatureGlo’s eScience program in the past.  My son LOVED IT.  He used it for a full year and learned so much about math, art, science, history and how it all intertwined.  Just so very intriguing.  Ergo, when the opportunity came up to review the MathArt and Science Course Bundle, I leapt at the opportunity.  I was particularly interested in the Marine Biology courses and wanted to do this all for myself.   

My lad had the benefit of my learning as when he told me about his learning over the day, I could also tell him what I learned.  🙂  Marine Biology is fascinating, especially the way it is laid out in this course!

What I Received

I received one year of access to NatureGlo’s eScience MathArt & Science Course Bundle. This was a special bundle designed just for the Crew and comes to us from NatureGlo’s eScience.  It gave us a chance to sample a variety of the courses that NatureGlo provides to its audience. This is a private 25-course bundle, containing courses from Glo’s MathArt and natural sciences classes. In my opinion, it is geared forstudents in upper elementary to lower highschool.

The 25 courses were

  • Botany (redwood trees)
  • Bubbleology
  • Geology
  • Herps Explorers (three separate units)
  • Herps Zoology (two separate units)
  • Introduction to MathArt
  • Invertebrates
  • Marine Biology (six separate units)
  • Mammals
  • MathArt (six separate units)
  • Marine Reptiles
  • Marine Zoology (two separate units)
  • Math Connections with the Real World
  • Life and Mathematical Art (two separate units)

The Details about NatureGlo’s eScience

Nature Glo’s eScience is so easy to use. Once you are logged in and have your courses in front of you, you click on what you want to do and then you are off.  You’ll have the lesson on one side, and lesson outline on the other. 

You’ll find that each unit is a separate study covering specific topics.  Each unit is broken down into easily managed pieces.  One day you might complete a couple of slideshows, another day fill out a PDF, and yet another day complete a project. Nothing is too onerous and leaves you time to supplement if you want to know more or to just learn what Glo presents. 

Units vary in length from one to six lessons.  The length of each unit is clearly shown, and even though it’s one lesson, you may decide to do it over several days. Every unit within NatureGlo’s eScience course is self-paced.  Doing them in the order listed makes sense but I did play around with doing some of the lessons in a different order. This made it fun and it still made sense but it was better to follow the lessons the way they are laid out. Learning still happened. 

To help you track where you are, as you complete each part of a lesson you mark complete at the close of each lesson.

The quiz that I ran into was done in a matching game format. It was easy to do and was timed but it didn’t feel like a “pressure to complete” timer.  Just an encouragement to keep moving.  🙂   Below you’ll find an image of a partially completed quiz.  If you connect two and they are incorrect they will flash red. 

How I used NatureGlo’s eScience

I predominately played around with the marine biology courses.  So fascinating!   It was great to work my way through the lessons and occasionally make side trails as I wanted to learn more.  Like when I went to youtube to learn more about comb jellies instead of waiting for a future lesson with video!   

Please don’t misunderstand me, the lessons come complete with their own videos, but sometimes I just chose to seek out my own sources since I’m so curious about what I’m learning about.  🙂   Very informative lessons that make you curious to find out more information. 

I appreciated how I could see where I was in the lesson as I progressed along.  Lessons completed being striked out, lesson current in yellow, and upcoming lessons in purple.  It’s nice to know when you have a quiz coming up isn’t it?  🙂 

I was able to finish the jellies, mollusks and whales but not additional courses. I’m trying to decide if I want to do dolphins/turtles or fish next.   I’m also looking to start the Marine Zoology 1 course.  I figured marine zoology and marine biology belong together right?  🙂  I am hopeful by year-end to complete all the marine courses that NatureGlo offers in this bundle. All six of the marine biology as well as marine reptiles, and marine zoology 2.   I am finding it to be a nice addition to the marine course from another vendor.

I did run into one video that was informative but felt geared to young children. My choice was to look for another video that suited my demographic better.  Don’t be afraid to do that. You know your students best, and watching something more suited to their age bracket makes sense.  It’s hard to pick something that works well for all age groups.

Should you get NatureGlo’s eScience?

I haven’t looked at the MathArt courses again, nor at the Herping or Geology courses.  The Herp courses sound interesting.  I enjoy watching youtube videos from reptile owners, and the amount of information out there to learn is fantastic; and they are animals… who wouldn’t want to learn more about them?  When I finish marine zoology perhaps that will be my next stop!  🙂 

You can tell that Glo loves her job.  Her enjoyment of math, art, nature, history, and science shines through in all her material.  I urge you to check out NatureGlo’s eScience today.

If you’d like to check out my previous review I’d be delighted. 

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natureglo1
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natureglosescience/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nesschool/
YouTube: youtube.com/user/1hasc

A bunch of us over the crew have been enjoying this specialty pack from NatureGlo’s eScience.  Read all 50 reviews by clicking the image below. 

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How Cities Work Activity Book

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Oh… How Cities Work is a rather neat activity book that I can’t wait to tell you all about!   Stickers, colouring, word searches and more fill the pages.  Help your children understand how cities work! Tall skyscrapers, bustling waterways, and even the city architect!  

How cities work activity book

What I am Reviewing

How Cities Work (activity book) is a lonely planet kids book.  A book that is illustrated by James Gulliver Hancock that helps your children understand the workings of a city through hands-on activities.  With over 200 stickers, word searches, writing assignments, mazes and such like you’ll explore most aspects of city life.   Written for children 6-8 years old. 

I am reviewing this book on behalf of Raincoast books.    A companion book to go along with this activity book is How Cities Work.  These books are part of the How Things Work Series.    This series includes such books as Trains and Airports, and you may remember How Animals Build that I reviewed a bit ago.  

Details for How Cities Work

With so much going on in a city environment, there’s plenty here to discover, explore and get creative with.  Stuffed full of facts about the inner workings of the city.  You’ll discover wonderful illustrations of scenes including rush-hour traffic, garden centres and building sites. There is plenty here to keep your children occupied and challenged either at home or on the road. 

Activities include:  Search and finds, colouring, spot the difference, add stickers, design a poster, word search, writing assignments, mazes, etc. 

Among the pages you’ll find six pages of more than 200 stickers.  I love that it’s not just a “put a sticker on” book, but it’s also a “thinking it through” exercise of figuring out what is going on and use a sticker to fix it!   Or today we’re learning about animals in a zoo, can you help the escaped animals get back to where they belong. 

how cities work stickers

The illustrations, done by James Fulliver Hancock, match those of How Cities work (another in this series).   Fitting these two books together will help your children learn a great deal about the workings of a city.   They are well done, fitting smoothly together. 

Should you Get it?

Yes! It’s a fun book and well worth getting.  It will not only teach your children various functions of a city, but also let them have fun while doing so.  How Cities Work (activity book) is informative and gives your children a productive way to utilize their time well.  🙂 

Other books to pair this with that I have reviewed are: 

Let’s Fly a Plane

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You may remember that I reviewed Let’s Ride a Wave a couple weeks back.   Today I have another in the series called Let’s Fly a Plane.   Another well done book from the Everyday Science Academy series. It is chockful of good science information for the junior crowd.  Come along… let’s discover what it takes to fly a plane!

Let's Fly a Plane review

What am I reviewing?

Let’s fly a Plane!  Launching into the science of flight with aerospace engineering.   Created by Chris Ferrie who writes science books for children.   Sourcebooks Explore is the publisher, the length is 40.  

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my review for Raincoast Books.  Chris Ferrie’s series Everyday Science Academy seeks to answer the big science questions that children have.  Let’s Fly a Plane is no exception to that goal. 

Let’s Fly a Plane, the details

Just as in Let’s Ride a Wave, Red Kangeroo plays a pivotal role.  She asks the question that begs to be answer “How can something so big stay in the sky when I cannot?”  Dr. Chris comes to answer the question. 

sample page from Let's fly a plane

Using accurate language over colour filled pages, Dr. Chris helps his readers understand terms like thrust, drag, friction,life and airflow.    If you miss any of the definition they are also provided in the glossary. 

You’ll find the text easy to read. An easy to read font the remains consistent throughout it’s 40 pages. 

You will appreciate the details provided as you learn about all the things that help keep an airplane up in the sky. 

No science book would be complete without experiments to help cement the learning.   Let’s Fly a Plane is not exception to that rule. 

Should you get it?

For sure!   It’s a fun, informative book with good experiments for children 4-8 years old. The bright colourful pages will keep their eyes on the page while a parent reads to them.  In fact, go out and get the whole series! 🙂

Let’s Ride a Wave

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One of the things I’ve been doing for the past few years is marking a papers for a biology course.  It’s been a good field to venture into and I enjoy doing it the longer I do it.  I’m learning to connect with my students and offer them better, more specific feedback. Part of marking this biology course is seeing if my students understand waves…not just ocean waves though they play a role, but also wavelength, sound, light etc.  Let’s ride a wave! would be an excellent book to help some of my struggling 9th graders.   Let me tell you all about this latest review. 

Let's Ride a wave review

Introducing Let’s Ride a Wave!

Let’s ride a wave! is part of a series called Everyday Science Academy.   Chris Ferrie has put together this series to help answer questions children have about the world around them. 

Red Kangeroo asks the question while sitting at the beach “I wonder if the waves ever stop?”  Dr. Chris steps in to help Red Kangeroo understand. 

Let's ride a wave

Starting with watching the ocean waves, Dr. Chris helps the reader understand that some waves you see, like the ocean waves, and moved along to other waves you see the results of but can’t actually see. 

Sourcebooks has put together a brightly coloured 40-page picture book to help 5-9-year-olds understand the physics of waves.  Chris Ferrie helps children dive into the science of light and sound waves.   I have the pleasure of reviewing this book for Raincoast Books. 

You’ll find the text easy to read using accurate terminology.  Learning about ultraviolet, electromagnetic, wavelength, tides, x-rays and more.  At the close you’ll find a glossary in language easy enough for children to understand but detailed enough to be accurate. 

I LOVE that experiments are included to test out ideas! From listening to different pitchs and tones, to making your your wavelengths. 

let's ride a wave sample page

Should you get it?

Yes, if you have any interest in any questions, or learning more about how waves work as light and sound.  Let’s Make a Wave! is a fantastic primer into how waves work.   It’s great for elementary students as is, giving steps into learning physics, and the excitement of having questions answered.

If you are struggling to make sense of your grade nine/ten biology, reading picture books like this one make complex ideas simple enough to understand.  This gives the building blocks you need to further advance your studies.

Others in the series are  (affiliate links)

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If looking for additional physics resources, check out SchoolhouseTeachers.com.  They have a variety of physics courses from Red Wagon and other sources from grade five and up. 

red wagon physics schoolhouseteachers