by T.J Resler
Published by National Geographic Children's Books
October, 2016
Reference Book
208 pages
Review copy provided by publisher
Just like the title says, this book shares the secrets behind what makes some things work the way they do. Curious kids who love to ask questions will enjoy reading this book and sharing what they learned.
Ever wonder how robot vacuum cleaners know where to go? Well, you will find the answer on pages 68-71 in this book.
A few other questions that get answered include:
Why don't roller coasters have engines?
Why can I jump so high in a bounce house?
How does changing a bicycle's gears make it easier to pedal?
How do microwave ovens cook so fast?
How do train tracks work?
The book is divided into five chapters.
Chapter 1 focuses on hover boards, tablets, bionic limbs, etc.
Chapter 2 focuses on heating and cooling.
Chapter 3 shows how some things at school work such as post-its and photocopiers.
Chapter 4 is all about extreme fun!
Chapter 5 shows how many vehicles work such as submarines and escalators.
Each topic has a 2-page spread called "Just the Facts" with diagrams, drawings, photos, text boxes and other features describing the item and how it works. This is followed by more info on the following pages titled "Tell Me More" where the science of how it works is described in more detail.
Other features in the book includes "Myth vs Fact" sections, "Tales from the Lab" and profile spotlights of important scientists. "Try This" sections invite kids to try an experiment or create something that will help them learn even more.
The dimensions of this large hardcover edition are approximately 9.5 by 12 inches.
I would recommend How Things Work for young scientists ages 9 and up. Younger readers will enjoy it as well, but may need more support with the text.
See what others have to say about this book:
Nonfiction Monday
Justin Talks Books
Always in the Middle
I wanted to give credit to the Author, T. J. Resler! She is a wonderful writer, and one of my critique partners. She has more collaborations with Nat Geo coming soon, and if we are all lucky, it wont be long before an editor snaps up her middle grade work too.
ReplyDeleteThank you David. I have updated my post.
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