Science Literature Grades 4-6: Grade 4

(1,2,8) Leo teaches his cat Pallas all about simple machines by applying his knowledge of science to their stone age world. Engaging illustrations and stories provide a fun introduction to science concepts, including wheel and axles, levers, pulleys, wedges, screws, and more. Information boxes accompany each story to explore real applications of simple machines in the natural and designed world.

(SLE 2) Big wheels and little wheels travel around the world. They come to a country where there are no wheels. How do people live without wheels? Soon wheels come to help the people. Find out how wheels make people's lives easier (Part of the Science Storybooks Series).

(SLE 3) Grandfather gave some jobs to a lazy boy. The clever boy came up with ideas to make the jobs easier. Let's find out how the boy used pulleys (Part of the Science Storybooks series).

(SLE 3-8) How can a 50-pound boy lift a 200-pound man? How does a wheelbarrow work? Is it easier to roll a toy truck up an inclined plane or just pick it straight up? What is an easy way to move a load of bricks? The experiments in this book will show how simple machines work and explain some simple principles of physical science. All you need are some simple materials, most of which can be found around your home, school, or neighborhood. So grab your marbles, wheels, and buckets and discover that physics is fantastic!

(SLE 1) "During the golden age of science, knowledge, and invention in Muslim civilization -- also known as the "Dark Ages" in Western Europe -- this incredible scholar was the first to hypothesize that vision occurs when light beams travel through the lens of they eye. He discovered how we see and set the stage for the methods we now know as the scientific process. Useful as supplementary reading and for briefly introducing the concept of light and vision.

(SLE 3) Caldecott award winning picture book. A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home. Intended audience is pre-school, however the captivating illustrations are a good discussion starter for distinguishing between objects that emit light and objects need light to be seen.

(SLE 4,6,7,8) This book looks at how shadows are created. Test which materials block light (are opaque), let some light through (are translucent), and let most light through (are transparent). - Look at how you can make animal shadows using your hands. You can make a sundial to explore how shadows can change depending on the position of the Sun. And much more! Other titles in the Exploring Light series are also relevant: Light and Dark, Sources of Light, Reflecting Light.

(SLE 7) Why can we see through some materials and not others? This informative title helps young readers discover the answer to this question and more. Readers explore the differences between transparent and opaque materials, including examples of their uses in everyday life.

(SLE 9) Check it out! Shocker facts, word stunners, and bite-sized bits of seriously strange information shake up reading interest in the Shockwave - the exciting new series that serves up the world's most extreme science and history for readers to discover. Includes the science and types of mirrors, as well as examples of their practical use.

(SLE 9-12) The authors use simple language and hands-on activities to explain what light is. Readers explore reflections and bending light; how our eyes work; and how lenses, mirrors, and telescopes work.

(SLE 9,10,12) A brief explanation of the science of light is followed by activities to illustrate concepts. Activities include pin-hole camera, telescope, two-way mirror, and mirrors.

(SLE 11) In 1935, two brothers began experimenting with ultraviolet light to make glow-in-the-dark paints. Together they invented a whole new kind of color, fluorescent.

(SLE 11) Examines a study of the sky, where rainbows form and many other unique facts about them.

(SLE 11) This book unfolds as a series of observations about light, including where it comes from, how it bounces off of people and objects, and what we mean when we say the colors of a rainbow are the colors in light. Throughout the text, informal experiments prompt young scientists to learn by doing, The I Wonder Why series is written by an award-winning science educator and published by NSTA Kids, a division of NSTA Press (National Science Teachers' Association).

Follows the adventures of Max Axiom as he explains the science behind light. Written in graphic-novel format (Part of the Graphic Science series featuring Max Axiom).

(SLE 4) Discover the many ways plants (and their seeds) move. Whether it's a sunflower, a Venus flytrap, or intriguingly exotic plants like an exploding cucumber, this fascinating picture book shows just how excitingly active plants really are. Animated language (verbs are highlighted) and expressive art contribute to an engaging reading experience. The concept that plants need to seek out sunlight, water and room to grow is reinforced.

(SLE 4,5) A photographic look at the many ways in which various types of plants adapt to their environment and thus survive. The sections include fitting into the environment, getting sun, getting water and nutrients, and reproducing. Young readers will be able to see and compare how a number of different plants accomplish these survival necessities.

(SLE 5, 11) Flowers are calling to all the animals of the forest, "Drink me!"--but it's the pollinators who feast on their nectar. In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

(SLE 11) SEEDS! SEEDS! SEEDS! From summer's flourishing flowers to autumn's succulent fruits, everything begins with a tiny little seed. In this fascinating chronicle, young readers will learn how seeds grow, and how they vary in shape, size, and dispersal patterns. From cherry pits to exploding pods, to sticktight seeds that cling to your shoes, acclaimed photographer and author Ken Robbins illuminates how wondrous nature springs up throughout the year before our very eyes.

(SLE 11) In this lushly illustrated picture book, a gust of wind lifts a maple seed, sending it spinning like a shiny green helicopter through the sky. Where will it land? From splashing away in a raindrop to scurrying with scampering squirrels to hitching rides on your sleeves and socks, seeds have many ingenious ways to traveling to new places, growing roots, and beginning the cycle again.