THE MAN WHO NAMED THE CLOUDS

This combination biography and science text is a fascinating look at one man’s interest in weather. Luke Howard began keeping a weather journal at the age of ten. Always fascinated with clouds, studying the weather became a lifelong hobby. Howard created a system for naming the different cloud types that is the basis for our cloud names today. Information about Howard’s time period puts his life and experiences in perspetive for young readers. Scattered throughout the text are excerpts from an elementary school student’s own weather journal. These are not just temperature recordings—Grace explains the weather, including how rain and snow form, what fog is and how clouds can be used to predict weather. Budding meteorologists can use her journal as a template for their own, and will find her project ideas helpful. Billin-Frye’s watercolors bring the past to life. Actual paintings by Howard and photos of the cloud types, along with a diagram, are included. An excellent combination of history and science, sure to spark the interest of future meteorologists. (Nonfiction. 7-12)