From: MQuattle_at_aol.com
Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:15:28 -0400 (EDT)

Re: the point that kids don't seem too drawn to science- and math-related nonfiction in library ... Alas, many of the books and biographies focus on scientists of the past. The Scientists in the Field series (Houghton Mifflin) is a wonderful exception. These books focus on the paths of contemporary scientists in an array of intriguing fields. Reading these books and seeing the color photos, kids might begin to picture themselves as scientists or engaged in scientific endeavors. My favorite is the "Frog Scientist," an engagingly written portrait of Dr. Tyronne Hayes and his timely research on environmental conditions and frogs.

And there seems to be a blind spot when it comes to business.... Where are the portraits of the entrepreneurs? Where are the books on how American business has changed? My daughter, 12, is very interested in business but beyond the rather girly "how to make your own crafts for fun and profit" fare and kid guides to money, there isn't much out there.

Re: Marc's point about encouraging critical thinking, here's something I've tried in the past: Set up a display/show examples of nonfiction on a particular topic across a range of decades (for example, contemporary kids' cookbooks, those published 20 years ago, 40 years ago, etc.) and get them talking/noticing how presentation and content have both changed. Kids were outraged to see how few (if any) boys and dads were depicted in children's cookbooks of the distant past--the not-subtle-message being that guys weren't supp osed to be in the kitchen. (The irony of that was not lost on feminist me.) It's also fascinating to do this with children's magazines (many very old issues of which you might get on ebay or online bookstores selling used books).

Mary Quattlebaum Children's Author, Instructor, Reviewer MQuattle_at_aol.com _www.maryquattlebaum.com_ (http://www.maryquattlebaum.com)
Received on Wed 13 Oct 2010 05:15:28 AM CDT