We recently shared a HUGE list of read aloud matchups for our School Year Pack 2 on our blog. (Keep on the look-out for bundle-specific read aloud matchups. Those will be coming for Ecology, Astronomy, and Physics soon!).
We currently have thorough lists for read aloud matchups for Weather, Earth Science, Biology, Origins, Chemistry, and Anatomy.
So many of the books on on our School Year Pack 2 list are beautiful, and I want to buy ALL. THE. BOOKS.
But, since that isn’t reasonable (can you feel my sighing?), here’s my list of the TOP TEN books to purchase or reserve early from the library this year featuring Ecology, Astronomy, and Physics topics.
The Boreal Forest by L.E. Carmichael is beautifully illustrated, but it is also beautifully written. The story is the combination of a lyrical fictional story about wildlife living in this biome paired with informational sidebars offering a deeper scientific look. It’s a great whole family tale.
The Atlas of Animal Adventures by Rachel Williams is another fun Ecology book following the habitats and habits of animals as they adapt and migrate. This will be a book your children will enjoy pulling from the shelf and perusing over and over again.
At 128 pages, The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth by Rachel Ignotofsky is the reference book you will pull over and over again. It references nearly all of the topics we cover in our Ecology Bundle, and offers interesting graphics and easily read aloud snippets to add depth to your study.
I love picture book biographies, and I still read them to my pre-teen and teenaged children. (Sarah Mackenzie’s Read Aloud Revival podcast inspired me to not give these treasures up!) The Boy Who Grew a Forest by Sophia Gholz is one of those beautiful picture book biographies that will both inspire and inform.
Written more in a textbook style, Astronomy: Wonders of Creation by Danny Faulkner is a rare Astronomy resource written from a Christian worldview. It covers all of the topics in our Astronomy Bundle and serves as a great resource to pull off the shelf over and over again as you address new Astronomy topics and ideas.
Although not written from a creationist worldview, When is a Planet Not a Planet? by Elaine Scott tells the story of the classifying and re-classifying of Pluto. It dives deep into scientific definitions and may be best for your upper elementary and older students. When we read this book in our home, it sparked a conversation that lasted for days!
To start off our Physics picks, I’m adding another picture book biography (I just LOVE them!). Queen of Physics by Teresa Robeson is the story of Wu Chien Shiung, who shaped both her culture and the scientific community by her pioneering physics work.
One of my favorite read alouds of all time, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba (young readers edition) is a story of science, community, struggle and survival, and personal triumph. If you choose one book from this list, let it be this one.
Usborne’s Illustrated Dictionary of Physics is the physics resource book I have on my shelf, and we reference it often during our study. While not a read aloud, the snippets of explanation and graphic illustrations are easy to understand and apply.
We’re rounding out our Top Ten with a beautifully illustrated biography of Isaac Newton, called Newton’s Rainbow: The Revolutionary Discoveries of a Young Scientist by Kathryn Lasky. A fun read for students, this title focuses on Newton’s childhood and the experiences that influenced his inventive spirit.
We hope this is a help to you, and we’re praying for blessing on your new year as you plan and prepare!
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