Nonfiction Monday: Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns

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Citizen Scientists
By Loree Griffin Burns
Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

Henry Holt

ISBN: 9780805090628
$19.99
Grades 3-6
In Stores

*Best New Book*

Find it at:
Schuler Books | Your Library

Science isn’t for me. Too much to understand. Too complicated. That’s for grown-ups.

Not so fast. Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns (The Hive Detectives, Tracking Trash) makes science accessible to kids like few books have done. A nonfiction book that not only informs, but might lead to some kids taking action. What’s not to love about that?

The best description of this book is right there on the cover.

“Be a part of scientific discovery from your own backyard”

Science isn’t just for grown-ups in lab coats – everyday citizens can get in the action. Each of the four chapters focuses on a different creature – butterflies in fall, birds in winter, frogs in spring, and ladybugs in summer. Chapters follow a consistent format:

• A first-person account of a citizen scientist in the field
• The back story about the reasearch surrounding that particular creature
• A focus on the groups (Monarch Watch, Christmas Bird Count, etc.) and individuals who conduct this research
• Tips for doing it yourself, and a quiz to test skills

It’s an effective way to show research from a variety of perspectives. Kids will get the whole picture, learning about the animals and how they are recorded and tracked. Readers will likely be interested in taking part themselves.

The rear of the book is a backmatter-palooza, with additional resources including books, field guides, and websites for more information. A bibliography and glossary round things out nicely.

Photographs and design can make or break a book like this, and Ellen Harasimowicz (photographer) and April Ward (designer) have delivered a beautiful book. Crisp images await the reader at every turn of the page, not just focusing on the critter in question, but also the people who are conducting the research. The overall design is bright and cheerful, with colors and imagery that pair well with the text. Captions are presented in a hand-written font adding to the “citizen scientist” feel.

A well-conceived piece of nonfiction that fills a unique roll. Not just a book, but a call to action.

Review copy from publisher

Visit these Nonfiction Monday posts:

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2. Ms. Yingling reviews Foods of the World: The Philippines and Cultures of the World: The Philippines
3. Gathering Books reviews When the Circus Came to Town
4. NC Teacher Stuff reviews The Whole Truth series
5. The Nonfiction Detectives also review Citizen Scientists 
6. A Teaching Life reviews biographies on Louisa May Alcott and Harriet Tubman
7. Charlotte’s Library reviews Geology of the Eastern Coast, by Cynthia Light Brown and Kathleen Brown 
8. Laura Salas reviews A Black Hole Is Not a Hole 
9. Perogies and Gyoza reviews Meltdown!
10. SimplyScience also reviews Meltdown! by Fred Bortz 
11. Jean Little Library reviews Stewart Ross’s Into the Unknown
12. Jeanne Walker Harvey reviews Balloons Over Broadway
13. Shelf-employed reviews The Great Molasses Flood: Boston, 1919 
14. rovingfiddlehead reviews The Kids Guide to Duct Tape Projects
15. Kid Lit Celebrates Women’s History Month reviews Marty Rhodes Figley’s new book, Emily and Carlo, with a guest post by the author herself 
16. Lynn and Cindy at Bookends review Cool Animal Names by Dawn Cusick
17. Abby (the) Librarian reviews A Black Hole is NOT a Hole by Carolyn DeCristofano
18. The Happy Nappy Bookseller reviews We’ve Got A Job: 1963 Birmingham Children’s Marchs by Cynthia Levinson
19. Apples with Many Seeds reviews Into the Unknown
20. Wild About Nature blog has an interview with the author of Three Little Beaver’s, Jean Halprein Diehl
21. Archimedes Notebook is featuring Wisdom, the Midway Albatross and an interview with illustrator Kitty Harvill
22. Geo Librarian reviews We Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March by Cynthia Levinson
23. Pink Me reviews a gaggle of biographies for children
24. Alex Recommends reviews UFOs from the Unexplained Series
25. Books 4 Learning reviews Nightmare Plagues
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Filed under: *Best New Books*, Nonfiction, Reviews