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Hot Topics! Reading List of...
Science!

Magic School Bus, by Joanna Cole

Ms. Frizzle shepherds her reluctant students through many adventures in books that are as fancifully conceived as they are educational.  The original full-color, horizontal format Magic School Bus books, listed below, are the best for gifted kids, with lots of fascinating details on each subject!

The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body  (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body)

The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System  (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System)

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth  (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth)

The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip  (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip)

The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus On the Ocean Floor)

The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane)

The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus In the Time of the Dinosaurs)

The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses)

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive)

The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks)
The Magic School Bus And The Science Fair Expedition (or from Amazon.co.uk The Magic School Bus And The Science Fair Expedition)

Horrible Science, by Nick Arnold.  Visit Horribles! for the whole collection!

Angry Animals  (or from Amazon.co.uk Angry Animals), also Animals Teachers' Resources 

Get to grips with gruesome grizzly bears, wolf down some facts about, er, wolves and snap up some savage shark stories

Blood, Bones and Body Bits (or from Amazon.co.uk Blood, Bones and Body Bits)

Perfect for budding young doctors and scientists

The Body Owner's Handbook (or from Amazon.co.uk The Body Owner's Handbook), also The Human Body Teachers' Resources

What you need to know about you...

Bulging Brains (or from Amazon.co.uk Bulging Brains)

Discover how chopping your brain in half needn't be fatal, and whether girls or boys are the real masterminds in this book about grey matter

Chemical Chaos (or from Amazon.co.uk Chemical Chaos)

Delightful history of scientific development, while teaching basic chemistry

Deadly Diseases (or from Amazon.co.uk Deadly Diseases)

If you think you can stomach the sick side of Science, then read on to find out about all kinds of illnesses from the common cold to cruel cholera

Disgusting Digestion (or from Amazon.co.uk Disgusting Digestion)

Dishes up the dirt on your innards...  Also Disgusting Digestion Sticker-Activity Book or Amazon.co.uk Disgusting Digestion Sticker-Activity Book

Evolve or Die (or from Amazon.co.uk Evolve or Die)

Weird and wonderful facts about survival and extinction

Dr Grimgrave's Gruesome Guide to Poison (or from Amazon.co.uk Dr Grimgrave's Gruesome Guide to Poison)

Explosive Experiments (or from Amazon.co.uk Explosive Experiments)

Reveals how many mistakes scientists make on the road to discovery, while giving readers the chance to try a few things out for themselves

Fatal Forces (or from Amazon.co.uk Fatal Forces), also Forces Teachers' Resources  

Why do your ears stop you falling off your bike? What can make your fillings explode? Find out...

Fearsome Fight for Flight (or from Amazon.co.uk Fearsome Fight for Flight)

Laugh at some seriously silly flying stunts, find out which scientist was blown up in a balloon, and learn how to build a world-beating plane

Frightening Light (or from Amazon.co.uk Frightening Light), also Light Teachers' Resources  

How eclipses turn day into night, why rattlesnakes can still find a person in the dark and why legs seem to bend under water

Killer Energy (or from Amazon.co.uk Killer Energy), also Electricity Teachers' Resources  

Find out how your body turns stodgy school dinners into energy, why steaming manure can warm you up and how to build your own geothermal power station

Microscopic Monsters (or from Amazon.co.uk Microscopic Monsters), also Micro-organisms Teachers' Resources (due 3/20/06)

facts about the tiny world of microbes - viruses, bacteria, amoebas

Nasty Nature (or from Amazon.co.uk Nasty Nature), also Plants Teachers' Resources  

Slither into the animal world to discover what kind of frog lives in the toilet, and many other fantastic facts

Painful Poison (or from Amazon.co.uk Painful Poison)

Painful Poison will dish up a deadly dose! Are you brave enough to discover: how to turn your brother or sister into a zombie slave? why you are breathing in poison right now?

Really Rotten Experiments (or from Amazon.co.uk Really Rotten Experiments)

packed with loud, noisy, wet and soggy experiments that are guaranteed to make your friends and teachers squirm...

Shocking Electricity (or from Amazon.co.uk Shocking Electricity)

discover how an electric eel can give you a nasty shock?; why electricity keeps your heart beating?

Sounds Dreadful (or from Amazon.co.uk Sounds Dreadful)

The world of rumbling resonance, shocking sound waves and sonic boom gets a sound check

Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens (or from Amazon.co.uk Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens), also Earth and Beyond Teachers' Resources (due 3/20/06)

Are you spaced-out to discover: which astronomers killed people? why space makes the guts explode? what the moon smells like?

Suffering Scientists (or from Amazon.co.uk Suffering Scientists)

a potted history of scientists and their discoveries, from the first Greek brainboxes to modern day geniuses

The Stunning Science of Everything! (or from Amazon.co.uk The Stunning Science of Everything)

Taking a journey from the very small, to the very big, explore the horrible Universe...

Terrible Truth About Time (or from Amazon.co.uk The Terrible Truth About Time)

What happens if you go too close to a black hole? How do flies tell the time? Why the years pass more quickly as you get older?

Vicious Veg (or from Amazon.co.uk Vicious Veg)

Dig up the dirt on the world of plants

Ugly Bugs (or from Amazon.co.uk Ugly Bugs), also Mini-Beasts Teachers' Resources 

Itching to find our which bugs hide behind the wallpaper? What slugs do with their slime?  Also Ugly Bugs Sticker-Activity Book or Amazon.co.uk Ugly Bugs Sticker-Activity Book

Things That Make You Go Yuck!

Crooked Critters by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton (or from Amazon)

Nature doesn't always play nice, and Crooked Critters showcases some of the worst offenders in the plant and animal kingdoms. You'll meet trespassing toads, insects in disguise, brood-borrowing cuckoos, and many more. It's a rogue's gallery of some of nature's roughest, meanest species...

Extreme Living by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton (or from Amazon)

Life isn't always easy, but some organisms take hard living to the extreme. Extreme Living looks at organisms living in the weirdest of ways: swimming miles deep in the ocean, freezing on icy mountaintops, boiling in hot springs, or even floating in space. You'll also find critters bigger, smaller, softer, longer, and stretchier than you ever thought possible...

Mystifying Mutants by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton (or from Amazon)

Hexapus. Singing mice. Spider worm. They sound like creatures from horror movies, but they are all real-life mutants that creep, crawl, and slither among us. In Mystifying Mutants, you'll learn that genes can be a freaky and fascinating business. From two-toned lobsters to hairless cats, this book showcases the strangest and most shocking genetic mutants in the plant and animal kingdoms...

Odd Couples by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton (or from Amazon)

It takes two to tango-but in the wild, two can do much crazier things than dance. In Odd Couples, you'll find out about nature's strangest dating rituals, cooperative couples, and parasitic pests. You'll explore symbiotic pairings like the crabs that carry sea urchins on their backs, and hybrid "franken-species" that seem like something out of a science-fiction tale...

As They Mold... um, Grow

Basher Books!

Algebra and Geometry: Anything But Square! illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Meet Polygon and Plane, Reflection and Rotation, Odd Number and his buddy Even Number and the three amigos Sine, Cosine and Tangent. Discover the secrets of their world and how they like to throw their numbers about...

Astronomy: Out of This World illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Astronomy gives every important celestial body and concept its own page, where readers can learn its behaviors, likes, and dislikes up close and personal. From the flashy stars to the shadowy and strange objects that hang out like loners at the edges of the universe, no player goes unnoticed. Astronomy poster in the back!

Basher Science: Core Science Library illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Biology: Life as We Know It!, Physics: Why Matter Matters and Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction, in a boxed set

Basher Science: Earth Science Library illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Planet Earth: What Planet Are You On?, Oceans: Making Waves! and Rocks & Minerals: A Gem of a Book, in a boxed set

Biology: Life as We Know It! illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

From cells to DNA, from viruses to mammals, from chlorophyll to flowers and fruit, and including the human body’s parts and systems, Biology is a single volume BIO101 course, illustrated for kids... 

Extreme Biology: It's Life But Not As You Know It! illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Learn about the amazing research that is revolutionizing biology, from advances in medicine to genetic engineering. Meet the world’s toughest bacterium and a biologically immortal flatworm whilst learning about epigenetics, superbugs, nanomedicine and cloning. Extreme Biology is a compelling guide to developments at the very forefront of science

Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Begins with a short overview of the discipline and information on Antoine Lavoisier's 18th-century scientific findings. Concepts are grouped by associations: “Basic States” (solid, liquid, etc.), “Nuts and Bolts” (atom, ion, etc.), “Nasty Boys” (acid, base, etc.), and more...

Creative Writing: The Plot Thickens illustrated by Simon Basher, author Mary Budzik

A fresh take on creative writing as only Basher can do it. Meet Plot, one of the many 'Schemers and Dreamers' who keeps a story running and its events moving in the right order; Atmosphere, known as a 'Scene Setter' because her job entails filling a scene with suspense, drama, or comedy; a cast of 'Heroes and Villains' including Protagonist and Narrator; and chatty, talkative Wordsmiths like Dialogue to name one in particular. Basher Basics: Creative Writing is a persuasive guide that includes tons of detail on the building blocks of narrative and what makes creative writing work...

Dinosaurs: The Bare Bones illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Everyone knows about the physical attributes of dinos, but what about personalities to go with those prehistoric proportions? Welcome to this highly memorable one-stop guide to the world of dinosaurs, courtesy of Basher. Join the primeval party and meet terrifying Tyrannosaurus rex, huge Giganotosaurus and tiny Compsognathus. Also includes lots of information from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, including dinosaur dinners, habitats, and fossil discoveries...

Grammar: The Bill of Writes illustrated by Simon Basher, author Mary Budzik

Learning grammar used to be one of the most boring exercises ever, but not anymore! Basher illustrates each grammar basic - from parts of speech to sentence components to groupings and agreements - with its own character, who explains exactly what makes them tick and how they are used. The perfect reference for linguists of all ages who struggle to remember the difference between a preposition and pronoun!

Human Body: A Book with Guts illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside...

Math: A Book You Can Count On illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Introduces basic mathematical terms such as zero, line, pi, quadrilaterals, ratio, bar graph, and x (representing unknown quantities). Each one speaks for itself. Subtract begins, “People often think I’m gloomy. Okay, I admit it, I’m the exact opposite of Add, that bubbly ball of smirking positivity. Later Subtract touches on subtracting negative numbers and offers a mental-math puzzler with an alternate method of reaching the solution. The colorful, iconic illustrations of the characters are appealing enough to disarm many mathphobic students, while those who love the subject will be in their element. Accompanying poster...

Mythology: Oh My! Gods and Godesses illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Gives a fresh look to some of the key characters from these famous myths and legends – meet Zeus, father of the Greek Gods; Norse Freyja, goddess of love, beauty, war and death; and Egyptian Bastet, goddess of cats. With Basher wit and signature stye, these gods and goddesses, along with many many others, are brought to life to tell you their stories...

Music: Hit the Right Note illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Guide to the building blocks of music. Meet Rhythm and Pitch, who know how to hold a tune; Time Signature, who loves to keep control; clever Chord, who works patterns to great effect; Brass, the powerful loudmouth of the instrument types; and Classical, Pop and Electronic from a crew of sweet characters...

Oceans: Making Waves! illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Not content to stay on dry land, Basher takes to the high seas in this friendly guide to everything above and below the oceans. Meet the members of the Shoreline Gang, the Deep-down Dandies, and the characters in the Open-water Crew. Encounter deep trenches, curious creatures, mountains taller than any you will find on land, and the mixers and stirrers that keep the water flowing. Throughout Basher’s bold, cheerful artwork pairs with solid scientific information. Includes a must-have pull out poster of the oceanic characters...

The Periodic Table: Elements with Style illustrated by Simon Basher, author Adrian Dingle

Dingle shows all the elements of the periodic table on a chart with very original graphics and spotlights 64 of the elements for closer examination... 

Periodic Table Flashcards illustrated by Simon Basher, author Adrian Dingle and Dan Green

Periodic Table: Elements with Style! is now available in a handy deck so young chemists can take their favorite characters on the go. Each element appears with all of its handy information including its symbol, atomic number, atomic weight, color, standard state, and classification. Of course, each character still has all its distinctive charm to help students remember the basics. Perfect for studying, trivia, creating games and more... 

Physics: Why Matter Matters illustrated by Simon Basher, author Adrian Dingle

From gravity to the theory of relativity, imagine physics as a community full of wacky characters--the building blocks of the universe each with a unique personality... 

Planet Earth: What Planet Are You On? illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Gilpin

A cast of endearing, goofy cartoon creatures embody the concepts. Each one appears on its own spread and is grouped into categories, such as “Landlubbers” (i.e., continents) and “The Insiders,” including the earth's crust. Authors blend a surprising wealth of facts into the chatty, humorous text, which is filled with analogies kids can relate to...

Punctuation: The Write Stuff illustrated by Simon Basher, author Mary Budzik

One-stop guide to using punctuation marks correctly. Each mark is each represented by its own character – from unassuming Semicolon to loud-mouthed Exclamation Mark – who explain in their own words what makes them tick and how they are used. “Do’s and “Don’t”s provide practical advice to help every child unravel the rules and regulations of the English language...

Rocks & Minerals: A Gem of a Book illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

An in-depth look at the ground beneath our feet, through charming illustrations paired with basic information told from a first person perspective. Meet a community of characters based on the things that form the foundations of our planet: rocks, gems, crystals, fossils and more...

Rocks & Minerals Flashcards: A Diamond of a Deck illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Rocks and minerals are grouped into families, and each is presented with key facts and metrics such as hardness, color, origin, and components. Basher's iconic character-driven artwork gives each rock or mineral a friendly face to go with all the scientific detail. These cards make a handy study aid, quiz tool, or rock-hunting companion... 

States and Capitals: United We Stand illustrated by Simon Basher

Unique, comprehensive guide to 50 states (plus DC and the six territories) presents each state in the hip Basher fashion. Gives each state a face, voice, and personality and gives kids a fun, unusual but really information-packed gazetteer of their country. From Alabama to Wyoming, each state boasts about why it is special, dishes fun facts not found elsewhere, and waxes poetics about its motto, state bird, flag, state flower, and more! Find out how Connecticut got to be called the Nutmeg State, why Louisiana, has a very different legal system, and what made landlocked Utah choose the seagull as its state bird...

Sticker Book: Science That Sticks illustrated by Simon Basher

Fun and funky poster and sticker book to introduce the youngest readers to the wonderful world of Basher Science. Featuring some of the friendly and iconic superstars of the best-selling titles in the series—Rocks & Minerals, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Planet Earth, Oceans, and Physics—as well as four pages of reusable stickers and gentle, child-friendly text, this book is an appealing, interactive treat for the youngest science hounds...

Technology: A byte-sized world! illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Discover the secrets behind the devices we take for granted, and learn about the amazing inventions that have transformed our lives. From the Movers and Shakers who power our physical world, to the Gizmos, Home Bodies, and High Rollers who power our vehicles, entertainment, and smartphones—and pretty much everything else around us—a compelling guide to the big-bytes whiz-kids, powerhouse motors, and other characters who drive our inventive, highly engineered world...

US Presidents: Oval Office All-Stars illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green and Edward Widmer

The nation's leaders as you've never seen them before. Every president, from George Washington to Obama, has his own entry and speaks directly to the reader. These lively and enlightening articles bring history to life. Meet James Monroe, known as the "Last Cocked Hat" because he pranced around in an outdated wig, hat, and breeches! Learn more about "Uncle Jumbo" (better known as Grover Cleveland): the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. Find out how Ronald Reagan helped end the Cold War. Quirky facts add interest. Did you know that John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? That Teddy Roosevelt (and his whole family) could walk on stilts? Or that Lyndon B. Johnson had worked as an elevator operator? You will be on first-name terms with every single one of America's Head Honchoes!

Weather: Whipping Up A Storm illustrated by Simon Basher, author Dan Green

Welcome to the wild world of weather! Meet Hurricane, a violent blusterer; Atmosphere, a many-layered character who keeps the planet cozy; hard-nut Hail and sneezy Sleet; Drought, the dusty fellow who makes life hard for animals, plants and people; and mischievous El Niño, who messes around with ocean currents to chaotic effect. Includes plenty of detail on the forces that make weather work...

Science Coloring Books

Classic scientific coloring books, for pre-teens through college students! 

The Anatomy Coloring Book by Christine Becker

For younger kids, try Color Anatomy...

The Biology Coloring Book by Robert Griffen

The Botany Coloring Book by Paul Young

Color the structure and function of plants and surveys the entire plant kingdom...

The Geography Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit

Not science, but part of the series...

The Human Brain Coloring Book

The Human Evolution Coloring Book

Scientific background for understanding the origins of humanity, explains dating methods, includes evidence from living primates, fossils, and molecular studies, clarifies the anatomical and behavioral similarities and differences between ourselves and our closest living relatives...

The Marine Biology Coloring Book by Thomas M. Niesen

The Microbiology Coloring Book by Richard Alcamo & Lawrence Elson

The Physics Coloring Book by Richard Stuart & Lawrence Elson

For younger kids, try Color Me Physics...

The Physiology Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit, Robert Macey, and Esmail Meisami

companion to The Anatomy Coloring Book...

The Zoology Coloring Book by Lawrence Elson

Advanced Scientists...

The Amateur Naturalist by Gerald Durrell

A treasure trove for anyone interested in studying the world around them, no matter the part of the world in which they might live. Although you needn't be an actual collector in order to enjoy this book, there is also information on how to begin collecting wild flora and fauna...  

Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin

Speaks in the clear voice of a woman who emerged from the other side of autism, bringing with her an extraordinary message about how animals think and feel.  Temple's professional training as an animal scientist and her history as a person with autism have given her a perspective like that of no other expert in the field. Standing at the intersection of autism and animals, she offers unparalleled observations and groundbreaking ideas about both...  Listen to Grandin's interview on the Diane Rehm show Temple Grandin: "Animals in Translation"...

Asimov on Chemistry by Isaac Asimov

out of print but available used...

Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

A real eye-opener for teen readers who regularly indulge at the Golden Arches. An adaptation of Schlosser's Fast Food Nation, Chew on This covers the history of the fast-food industry and delves into the agribusiness and animal husbandry methods that support it. Schlosser lays out the gruesome details behind the tasty burgers and sandwiches. Equally disturbing is his revelation of the way that the fast-food giants have studied childhood behavior and geared their commercials and free toy inclusions to hook the youngest consumers...

The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke (or Kindle edition)

Examines 8 periods in history when our view of the world shifted dramatically: in the eleventh century, when extraordinary discoveries were made by Spanish crusaders; in fourteenth-century Florence, where perspective in painting emerged; in the fifteenth century, when the advent of the printing press shook the foundations of an oral society; in the sixteenth century, when gunnery developments triggered the birth of modern science; in the early eighteenth century, when hot English summers brought on the Industrial Revolution; in the battlefield surgery stations of the French revolutionary armies, where people first became statistics; in the nineteenth century, when the discovery of dinosaur fossils led to the theory of evolution; and in the 1820s, when electrical experiments heralded the end of scientific certainty. Based on the popular television documentary series...

Icarus at the Edge of Time by Brian Greene

Short but thought provoking look into space and the future... good for all ages

The Lives of a Cell: Notes of a Biology Watcher by Lewis Thomas

A beautifully written collection of essays. His observations, more than conclusions, bring one very close to a belief that in some way, all life is connected...

Madame Curie by Eva Curie

The remarkable life and astonishing mind of one of the greatest scientists of the century, written by her daughter, it remains a landmark and an inspiration for students, scientists, and young women everywhere...  

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins

Rave reviews: "It's the clearest and most beautifully written introduction to science I've ever read ... Explanations I thought I knew were clarified; things I never understood were made clear for the first time." Philip Pullman.

The Mold in Dr. Florey's Coat: The Story of the Penicillin Miracle by Neal Thompson

The discovery of penicillin in 1928 ushered in a new age in medicine. But it took a team of Oxford scientists headed by Howard Florey and Ernst Chain four more years to develop it as the first antibiotic...

Neurocomic by Hana Ros, illustrated by Matteo Farinella

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, these PhD-holding neuroscientists depict the adventures of a young man who, by means of a pretty girl reading a book, falls into what seems to be a forest but is actually the brain. There he meets a couple of Nobel laureate scientists who explain brain morphology to him before sending him into a neuron, where more top researchers elucidate brain pharmacology. After inadvertently overindulging there, he plunges into a cell and, thereby, brain electrophysiology. Further episodes acquaint him with plasticity and synchronicity in the brain before he is reunited in an epilogue with the pretty girl...

One Giant Leap: Neil Armstrong's Stellar American Journey by Neal Thompson

Explores the man whose walk on the moon is still compared to humankind's progenitor's crawl out of the primordial ooze. And whose retreat back to a farm in his native Ohio soon after the last ticker tape confetti fell, has left him looked upon as a reclusive hermit ever since.  This is the true story of a national hero, whose life long quest to walk on the moon truly mirrors our best selves...

On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines by Jeff Hawkins with Sandra Blakeslee

Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself.  Hawkins develops a powerful theory of how the human brain works, explaining why computers are not intelligent and how, based on this new theory, we can finally build intelligent machines.  

The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor by Ken Silverstein

In the summer of 1995, a teenager in a Detroit suburb, a mediocre student with a relentless scientific curiosity, managed to build a rudimentary nuclear breeder reactor in a shed behind his mother's house, using radioactive elements obtained from items as ordinary as smoke detectors. He got so far along in his efforts that when the Feds finally caught up with him...

She's Such a Geek: Women Write About Science, Technology, and Other Nerdy Stuff by Annalee Newitz & Charlie Anders

An anthology essays spotlights women who write comic books for a living, get caught up in their favorite role-playing games and win "sexiest geek alive" contests by sporting a corset made out of circuit boards. Editors Newitz celebrate women's technical accomplishments and nerdy hobbies, while several contributors also discuss their encounters with sexist discrimination... (young adult)

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

From primordial nothingness to this very moment, A Short History of Nearly Everything reports what happened and how humans figured it out. [Bryson's] aim is to help people like him, who rejected stale school textbooks and dry explanations, to appreciate how we have used science to understand the smallest particles and the unimaginably vast expanses of space...

Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney

Explores the brilliant and prescient mind of one of the twentieth century's greatest scientists and inventors. Called a madman by his enemies, a genius by others, and an enigma by nearly everyone, Nikola Tesla was, without a doubt, a trailblazing inventor who created astonishing, sometimes world-transforming devices that were virtually without theoretical precedent...

The Velocity of Honey and More Science of Everyday Life by Jay Ingram

Why does the journey to a new location always take longer than the trip home? What is the science behind the theory of "six degrees of separation?" Why doesn't honey flow out in all directions?  Explore the extraordinary science behind ordinary happenings...

The World's 20 Greatest Unsolved Problems by John R. Vacca

Current debates in astronomy and cosmology, physics and astrophysics, biology and paleontology, neuroscience, geology, chemistry, and energy
 

For All Ages!

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

recounts a year spent eating home-grown food and, if not that, local. Accomplished gardeners, the Kingsolver clan grow a large garden in southern Appalachia and spend summers "putting food by," as the classic kitchen title goes. Nine-year-old Lily runs a heritage poultry business, selling eggs and meat. What they don't raise (lamb, beef, apples) comes from local farms. Come winter, they feast on root crops and canned goods, menus slouching toward asparagus. Along the way, the Kingsolver family, having given up industrial meat years before, abandons its vegetarian ways and discovers the pleasures of conscientious carnivory...

The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck

The famous story of a Japanese boy who must face life after escaping the tidal wave destruction of his family and village...

The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier

Distills everything you've forgotten from your high school science classes and more into one enjoyable book, a guide for the scientifically perplexed adult who wants to understand what those guys in lab coats on the news are babbling about, in the realms of physics, chemistry, biology, geology or astronomy, or the scientifically curious young adult who wants to understand everything...

Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes: Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun by Steve Spangler

From the creator of the mentos soda geyser comes a collection of outrageously entertaining science experiments and cool tricks guaranteed to get ooohs and ahhhs! Spangler teaches you how to transform the ordinary into the amazing as you make everyday items ooze, bubble, fizz, and pop! From flying toilet paper to trash can smoke rings, erupting soda to exploding sandwich bags, the experiments in Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes will spark your imagination and totally impress your friends. Learn how to astound kids and kids-at-heart with easy and inexpensive experiments...

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

A fascinating journey up and down the food chain, one that might change the way you read the label on a frozen dinner, dig into a steak or decide whether to buy organic eggs. You'll certainly never look at a Chicken McNugget the same way again...

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee

A kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece," it is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious...

Powers of Ten by Philip & Phylis Morrison

Starting with a view of a billion light-years, the book moves inward, with each page being 1/10^th the scale of the previous one. In 25 steps, you're looking at a picnic by the shores of Lake Michigan, then plunging into a human hand, down through the cells inside it, the DNA inside the cells...

Solar System: A Visual Exploration of All the Planets, Moons and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun by Marcus Chown

The wonders of our solar system, accessible to readers of all ages.  Beginning with a fascinating overview and then organized by planet, in order of its distance from the sun, Solar System takes us on a trip across time and space that includes a front-row seat to the explosive birth of the solar system, a journey to (and then deep inside) each of its eight planets, and even an in-depth exploration of asteroids and comets...

The Photographic Card Deck of the Solar System: 158 Cards Featuring Stories, Scientific Data, and Big Beautiful Photographs of All the Planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies That Orbit Our Sun by Marcus Chown

A companion to Solar System, this beautiful photographic card deck features 100 different items from our solar system, from planets and moons, to asteroids, solar wind, and famous astronomers – one on each card – with a full-size image on the front and fascinating information on the back...

The Way Life Works: The Science Lover's Illustrated Guide to How Life Grows, Develops, Reproduces, and Gets Along by Mahlon Hoagland and Bert Dodson

What happens when a biologist and artist share an interest in life from bacteria to humans, and collaborate on taking their knowledge public? The result is a most magnificent science book, devoted to the wonder and unity of the natural world...

by Theodore Gray

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray

A visual homage to the periodic table of the elements, The Elements begins with an introduction to the arrangement of the periodic table. The first 100 elements are each profiled on a two-page spread. The left side of the spread features a large color image of the element in its true form, when possible. The right side includes various images of ways the element appears in the world and explanations of some of the compounds in which it can be found. For example, the Selenium entry includes images of selenium sulfide medicated shampoo, Brazil nuts (which are high in selenium), and a red vase that gets its color from a selenium glaze. A column running down the right page offers information on the element's location in the periodic table and its atomic weight, density, atomic radius, and crystal structure in addition to charts portraying its electron order filling, atomic emission spectrum, and states of matter at various temperatures...

The Elements 2015 Calendar: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray

perfect for scientists, students, teachers, and anyone interested in the beauty and diversity of nature. Each month shows a full-page photograph of a featured element in its pure form and offers an interesting and informative anecdote. The elements in this year's calendar are boron, nitrogen, sodium, argon, nickel, strontium, niobium, indium, thallium, polonium, plutonium, and thorium

The Elements Puzzle: 1000 Pieces by Theodore Gray

Gorgeous and challenging 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle of Theodore Gray's photographic periodic table...

The Photographic Card Deck of The Elements: With Big Beautiful Photographs of All 118 Elements in the Periodic Table by Theodore Gray

A companion to The Elements, this beautiful photographic card deck features all 118 elements in the periodic table. One element per card appears as a full-size image on the front and fascinating information about the element on the back

Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything by Theodore Gray

Everything physical is made up of the elements and the infinite variety of molecules they form when they combine with each other. In Molecules, Gray takes the next step in the grand story that began with the periodic table. He explores through fascinating stories and trademark stunning photography the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful of the millions of chemical structures that make up every material in the world...

Theodore Gray's Elements Vault: Treasures of the Periodic Table with Removable Archival Documents and Real Element Samples - Including Pure Gold! by Theodore Gray

All new text, plus removable historic letters and other artifacts and collectible samples of real elements...

Theo Gray's Mad Science: Experiments You Can do At Home - But Probably Shouldn't by Theodore Gray

...Launches a toy rocket using the energy released from an Oreo cookie, ignites a phosphorus sun by suspending half a gram of white phosphorus in a globe filled with pure oxygen and creates a homemade hot tub by adding 500 pounds of quicklime to water. 54 experiments in this astonishing book demonstrate essential scientific principles in ways you were likely never exposed to in school, accompanied by full-color photographs that provide a front-row seat to rarely seen chemical reactions and glorious subatomic activity. Gray also includes step-by-step instructions for nearly every experiment. Following all of the safety guidelines, readers can even re-create some of the experiments in the book. The perfect book for anyone fascinated by all things chemical, electrical, or explosive, and who loves a vicarious thrill...

Mad Science 2: Experiments You Can Do At Home, But STILL Probably Shouldn't by Theodore Gray

More dramatic, enlightening, and sometimes daring demonstrations...

Genetics

For The Younger Geneticist...

They Came from DNA by  Billy Aronson

Begin to understand evolution and the key to the mysteries he is investigating: the structure and function of DNA

For The Older Geneticist...

The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker

Drawing on decades of research in the "sciences of human nature," Pinker attacks the notion that an infant's mind is a blank slate, arguing instead that human beings have an inherited universal structure shaped by the demands made upon the species for survival, albeit with plenty of room for cultural and individual variation...

The Cartoon Guide to Genetics by Larry Gonick

Illustrates, simplifies, and humor-coats the important principles of classical and modern genetics and their experimental bases, with amusing anecdotes about how the ancients tried to explain inheritance and sex determination

The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by James D. Watson

The real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact...  

Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley

Each chapter pries one gene out of its chromosome and focuses on its role in our development and adult life, but also goes further, exploring the implications of genetic research and our quickly changing social attitudes toward this information; genes associated with cancer, intelligence, sex, and more...  

also The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture by Matt Ridley

Ridley recounts the hundred years' war between the partisans of nature and nurture to explain how this paradoxical creature, the human being, can be simultaneously free-willed and motivated by instinct and culture...  

His Brother's Keeper: A Story from the Edge of Medicine by Edmund Blair Bolles

At the heart of this report of gene therapy and other regenerative medicine techniques lies a simple, heartbreaking question: "What would you do to save your brother's life?" When Stephen Heywood, a 29-year-old carpenter, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), his older brother, Jaime, launched his own research project to search for a cure...

The Way Life Works: The Science Lover's Illustrated Guide to How Life Grows, Develops, Reproduces, and Gets Along  by Mahlon Hoagland and Bert Dodson

This book is what happens when a biologist and artist share an interest in life from bacteria to humans, and collaborate on taking their knowledge public.  Superbly written, delightfully illustrated, and supremely informative...  

Inventions

For the would-be Inventor...

Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Jones, illustrated by John Obrien

For those readers who feel as though they've yet to accomplish anything in life, these discoveries will come as a great relief. None of the inventions described in these pages were planned; in fact, some of the inventors had no idea they'd stumbled on something useful until years later, when their works became popular... 

Accidents May Happen: 50 Inventions Discovered by Mistake by Charlotte Foltz Jones

For the future engineer...

Bridges: Amazing Structures to Design, Build & Test by Ted Williams

Historical and technical information on the design and construction, plus hands-on experiments. From analysis of the arch, beam, and suspension systems to the "care and feeding" of structures and reflections on bridges of the future. Projects involve building, measurement, and observation, testing the strength of varied paper shapes or constructing a Popsicle-stick truss bridge or writing bridge poems...

Building Big by David Macauley

David Macaulay's hit PBS series Building Big: Bridges/Domes/Skyscrapers/Dams/Tunnels cannot take you as far as this book does into the wonders of the constructed world: dams, domes, skyscrapers, tunnels, and bridges. It's also a trip through time, transporting you, for instance, from Rome's Ponte Fabricio (built in 62 B.C.) to the 1930s Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to France's Ponte de Normandie across the Seine, which was the longest bridge on earth when completed in 1994...

Engineer This!: 10 Amazing Projects for Young Mechanical Engineers by Carol McBride & Francisco Gonzales

Turn trash into invention and sharpen your engineering eye with these 10 hands-on engineering projects. Using recycled and easy-to-find materials, engineer your own motorcar, catapult, glider, and other completely functional machines. Explore amazing scientific concepts, such as potential, kinetic, and electrical energy; principles of flight; weights and balances; pulleys and levers; laws of motion; and more. Each project includes step-by-step instructions, full-color photos, exciting facts, safety tips, and extended engineering and science activities

Skyscrapers!: Super Structures to Design & Build by Ted Williams

Learn about each stage of skyscraper-construction from planning to "cladding," or exterior.  Brief history of the skyscraper precedes hands-on learning activities, including determining the best foundation and constructing a frame. Includes about the Sears Tower, Woolworth Building and Transamerica Pyramid...  Note: includes the World Trade Towers

Steven Caney's Ultimate Building Book by Steven Caney

Ever wonder how a suspension bridge can cross a gap thousands of feet wide? Want to know how to build a comfortable lounge chair out of cardboard boxes? Or what keeps a massive cathedral dome from collapsing? Discover the answers to these and many more questions in Steven Caney’s Ultimate Building Book, a wonderfully comprehensive exploration of design, construction, and invention...

Mechatronics for the Evil Genius by Newton C. Braga

Build your own mechanical race car, combat robot, ionic motor, mechatronic head, light beam remote control, and 20 other entertaining learning projects that take you to the heart of mechatronics.  The "evil genius" format adds intrigue...

Physics!

The Youngest Physicist

Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities and Thought Experiments by Jerome Pohlen

Best known for his general theory of relativity and the famous equation linking mass and energy, E = mc², Albert Einstein had a lasting impact on the world of science, along with his fascinating life and unique personality. Learn all about Einstein’s important contributions to science, from proving the existence and size of atoms and launching the field of quantum mechanics to creating models of the universe that led to the discovery of black holes and the big bang theory, and try activities and thought experiments...

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Robert Cwiklik

For bewildered parents of relativity-involved children and for younger children, more history than science, but covers the basics of the theory of relativity

Galileo for Kids: His Life and Ideas, 25 Activities by Richard Panchyk

Introduction to Galileo, one of history's best-known scientists. Learn how Galileo's revolutionary discoveries and sometimes controversial theories changed his world and laid the groundwork for modern astronomy and physics. Discover Galileo's life and work. Try some of his theories on your own...

Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities by Kerrie Logan Hollihan

Isaac Newton was as strange as he was intelligent. In a few short years, he made astounding discoveries in physics, astronomy, optics, and mathematics— yet never told a soul. He almost single-handedly changed the course of scientific advancement and ushered in the Enlightenment. Newton invented the refracting telescope, explained the motion of planets and comets, discovered the multicolored nature of light, and created an entirely new field of mathematical understanding: calculus. The world might have been a very different place had Netwon’s theories and observations not been coaxed out of him by his colleagues. Includes 21 hands-on projects that explore Newton's scientific concepts...

It's All Relative: Einstein's Theory of Relativity by Necia H. Apfel

Out of print; No math, but explains the concept in the clearest, most intuitive way. At the time, my 8 year old and I were thrilled reading it

Pre-teen and teen Physicists

Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics by Robert Gilmore

Told in the same way as Alice in Wonderland and a hint of Flatland, Gilmore guides us through the principles of Quantum mechanics in a truly lively and fun way

Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy by Kip S. Thorne, intro by Stephen Hawking

It'll suck you right in! Thorne's book is fantastic! It progresses from Einstein's start to the fundamental concepts of the subject we know today

The Illustrated Brief History of Time, Updated and Expanded Edition by Stephen Hawking

Helps nonscientists understand the questions being asked by scientists today. Among the topics gracefully covered are gravity, black holes, the Big Bang, the nature of time, and more

The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking

It's no secret that many people who own A Brief History of Time have never finished it. Hawking's The Universe in a Nutshell aims to remedy the situation, with a plethora of friendly illustrations to help readers grok some of the most brain-bending ideas ever conceived...

The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick

"If you think a negative charge is something that shows up on your credit-card bill--if you imagine that Ohm's law dictates how long to meditate--if you believe that Newtonian mechanics will fix your car," here's the book for you

The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene

Greene gives the non-specialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know

Feynman's Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life by Leonard Mlodinow

Einstein's Dreams meets Tuesdays with Morrie in Leonard Mlodinow's touching memoir about his mentor, the brilliant physicist Richard Feynman. As a young physicist, Leonard Mlodinow looked for guidance from his mentor, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman...

The Physics Coloring Book by Richard Stuart & Lawrence Elson

For younger kids, try Color Me Physics...

The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss

Even those who have never watched an episode of Star Trek will be entertained and enlightened by theoretical physicist Krauss's adventurous investigation of interstellar flight, time travel, teleportation of objects and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Case Western Reserve professor Krauss maintains that Star Trek's writers were sometimes far ahead of scientists and famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking's foreword, endorsing the possibilities of faster-than-light travel and journeying back in time, supports that notion. On the other hand, Krauss also argues that the show is riddled with bloopers and huge improbabilities...

Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein

How better to learn the Special Theory of Relativity and the General Theory of Relativity than directly from their creator, Albert Einstein himself? Einstein describes the theories that made him famous, illuminating his case with numerous examples and a smattering of math (nothing more complex than high-school algebra)...

Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by Dr. Richard Feynman

The six easiest chapters from Feynman's celebrated Lectures on Physics...

Six Not-so-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time by Dr. Richard Feynman

Six additional focused, revolutionary lectures on Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which the legendary teacher and Nobel physicist Richard P. Feynman gave in the early 1960s to freshman students at Caltech

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Dr. Richard Feynman

Mr. Tompkins in Paperback by George Gamow

This classic work provides a clear explanation of the central concepts in modern physics--from atomic structure to relativity and quantum theory to fusion and fission--through the fantastic adventures of its bank clerk hero

A Tour of the Subatomic Zoo: A Guide to Particle Physics by Cindy Schwarz

This popular book introduces the ideas, terminology, and techniques of high-energy physics. Views of matter from the atom down to the quark are discussed historically, in language that is accessible to readers who have no physics background. If every physics textbook were like this, physics classrooms would be crowded

Space

Space Dictionary for Kids: The Everything Guide for Kids Who Love Space by Amy Anderson & Brian Anderson

Packed with hundreds of illustrated definitions about astronomy and space, Space Dictionary for Kids is certain to spark any kid's enthusiasm for the solar system and galaxy. Explore cosmology, stars and galaxies, the solar system, space exploration, and exoplanets and astrobiology. Hop on an astronomy timeline to learn the story of how primitive ancient beliefs evolved over centuries to become a high-technology science. Crack up over the humorous sidebars that expand on the topic of space with examples, explanations, diagrams, quizzes, and even short activities to enhance understanding...

Advanced Space Study

The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet by Neil deGrasse Tyson (or Kindle edition)

From Pluto's 1930 discovery to the emotional reaction worldwide to its demotion from planetary status, astrophysicist, a lighthearted look at the planet. Astronomical calculations predicted the presence of a mysterious and distant Planet X decades before Clyde Tombaugh spotted it in 1930...

 

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