The Periodic Table: Elements With Style!

In the category of How come didn't they have anything like this when I was a kid? is this entertaining book that brings the periodic table to life in a way that 10th grade chemistry class just didn't for me.

In The Periodic Table: Elements With Style, by Adrian Dingle and Simon Basher, the elements introduce themselves and describe their own unique personalities. ("I'm happy to mix in any social gathering of the elements," Magnesium says, "making friends with anyone, even moody hydrogen.") Basher's Pokemon-esque illustrations add to the fun.

The book is probably geared for kids around fourth grade, but for my 6-year-old it sparked a still-ongoing interest in the elements and the periodic table. He knows which ones are transition elements and which are alkaline earth metals. I'm not that advanced, but I did learn what sets the noble gases apart. How could I not catch on, after reading this description:

"The far right of the table is the classy neighborhood, for here lives the periodic table's royal family--the so-called 'noble gases.' This group is largely resistant to chemical reactions, seemingly above mixing or slumming it with the rest of the elements."

This is a great find for the budding scientist in your life!

Follow the Drinking Gourd

The only thing harder than trying to explain slavery to my son (the concept still sounds ludicrous to me when I say it aloud) was trying to explain that the Underground Railroad was not actually underground, nor a railroad.

Reading Follow the Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter, was certainly a step in the right direction.

Legendary Underground Railroad conductor Peg Leg Joe hired himself out to plantation owners as a handyman. During his time at each plantation, he taught the slaves a folk song called "Follow the Drinking Gourd" that seemed nonsensical to the plantation masters but contained information that would direct the slaves to freedom.

This book follows a group of slaves who escape using the song's hidden messages. With the help of others along the way, they flee successfully to their freedom in Canada. It's a gripping story, simple enough for children but eloquent enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First

My kids love alphabet books, and there are a lot of excellent ones available. Our family's all-time favorite is Alpha Oops! The Day Z Went First, by Alethea Kontis and illustrated by Bob Kolar.

All three of my children absolutely adore this book. They love the story, the humor, the brilliant illustrations, and the gusto with which their parents read it. Because it is a fun book to read.

The letter A is kicking off the show with the tried and true "A is for apple" when he is interrupted by Z, who angrily announces: "Zebra and I are SICK of this last-in-line stuff! This time we want to go first!"

Chaos ensues, and the letters become so mixed up that even that rabble-rouser Z becomes irritated with the results. But with a little flexibility and compromise, each letter gets a turn, and A wraps things up with a glorious grand finale.

The combination of witty dialogue and delightful illustrations make this one of those books you won't mind reading again and again.