Another sure-fire winner for math teachers and school libraries alike, this follow-up to Great Estimations (2006) recaps the basic estimation methods (eye-training, clump-counting, box-and-count) and gives readers several opportunities to practice them. But then the author gets tricky, mixing up the groups of objects with things of vastly different sizes, unevenly spreading them across a surface or irregularly layering them. Finally, readers will be challenged to use what they have learned to estimate length, height, weight, area and volume (in both U.S. customary and metric units). The “Hints” boxes at the bottom of each page give readers a starting point, as well as help with some of the mathematics involved in estimating large numbers of objects. Speech bubbles add some levity to a subject that children often find difficult, especially since there are no concrete “correct” answers (in either real life or in this text). Most importantly, the author’s note gives specific examples of the ways estimation skills are pivotal to many professions, giving readers extra motivation to push toward mastery. Don’t underestimate this one’s value. (Informational picture book. 7-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8315-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2008
This revenger’s comedy, dotted with references to classic plays and philosophical concepts, will be a joy for pranksters and...
When pranking perfection meets the seemingly unprankable foe, who gets the last laugh?
Terrible Two Niles and Miles have been merrily pranking their favorite targets, Principal Barkin and his dim, loathsome son Josh, at school and in town all autumn long. Fed up with the plague of pranks, former Principal Barkin (father of the current one) stages a coup d’état at a school board meeting and takes back his old job. This new-old Principal Barkin is draconian in his control of the school. He hangs a sign counting the days since the last prank…which, since he avows there is no prank if no one reacts (and he never reacts), means there have been no pranks. Miles and Niles despair as one after another of their complex, devious plots are ignored. School becomes unbearable until they seek help from a most unlikely source. Can three succeed where two have failed? John and Barnett’s sophomore effort is as much fun as series opener The Terrible Two (2015). The boys’ history as rivals and their home lives barely receive mention here, so the first volume is a must-read—no hardship. Cornell’s line drawings add to the goofy, deadpan experience.
This revenger’s comedy, dotted with references to classic plays and philosophical concepts, will be a joy for pranksters and seekers of a good-hearted laugh. (Fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1680-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An accessible and entertaining introduction to a basic science tool.
Packed with examples, this children’s book explains how scientists record observations in field journals.
Children in science class who are asked to write down observations in a notebook or journal may wonder how this actually works for professional scientists. This introduction to the subject demystifies the process, beginning by defining the central concepts. Field, for example, means scientists “are not sitting in an office or a laboratory. Instead, they are in a field, a meadow, a cave, or wherever they need to be to make their observations in nature.” Pattison explains the kind of information recorded, such as lists, daily events, narratives, maps, descriptions, and measurements, along with images clarified through captions, labels, or keys providing important facts. The book then turns to 13 scientists from fields including entomology, botany, ornithology, geology, and taxidermy. Each entry includes a photographic portrait and a short biography listing notable accomplishments and experiences and a description of methods, illustrated with relevant images, such as facsimiles of field notes and examples of many kinds of observations. Because the volume focuses on scientists born in the 19th or early 20th centuries, many of the entries are handwritten or drawn, showing that students don’t need fancy equipment to perform fieldwork. In her latest science-focused book for children, the author provides clear, understandable, but not oversimplified explanations in an attractively presented format. The notebook entries make for compelling study, such as entomologist Margaret S. Collins’ observations of a territorial showdown between termite colonies: “She drew a map showing the opening positions, and then new maps as the battle continued,” recording developments over the 40-minute conflict. A final section, “Start Your Own Field Book,” supplies useful tips. But it’s unfortunate that only three female scientists are included—not for lack of historical examples.
An accessible and entertaining introduction to a basic science tool.Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62-944191-7
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Mims House
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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