Science Literature Grades 4-6: Grade 6

(SLE 2) Inventive illustrations depict the true story of the duck, sheep, and rooster that were "ballooning's first brave passengers" when the Montgolfiers tested their hot-air balloon in 1783.

(SLE 7) The true story of two boys who launched a Lego Man into space! With over 3 million views on YouTube and covered by almost every major news outlet in the world, the story of how two boys launched a Lego man 80,000 feet.

(SLE 7) Readers will love exploring a career as an aerospace engineer, a job where the sky is never the limit. This book explores both sides of aerospace engineering, aeronautical and astronautical. Readers will learn the different jobs and tasks that make up this important career, as well as the different technologies aerospace engineers use and design. This book provides all the tools readers need to start working towards a career in this exciting field, as well as inspiration through introductions to notable aerospace engineers.

(SLE 3,4, 6) "A detailed and invigorating history of the Wright Brothers' work with archival photographs and clear, illustrated directions for 21 projects. Interspersed throughout the text, the activities include building a curved kite, an airfoil and a model glider" (Publishers Weekly, 2003).

(SLE 3) Have you ever wondered how far you could get a paper airplane to fly? Do you want to learn how to make more than just one simple model? Test the limits of flight! From the classic dart to the unbeatable super plane these paper creations will have you soaring all over the neighbourhood.

(SLE 9, 12) Like a Facebook for the universe, Astronomy gives every important celestial body and concept its own page, where readers can learn its behaviors, likes, and dislikes up close and personal. From the flashy stars to the shadowy and strange objects that hang out like loners at the edges of the universe, no player goes unnoticed. Every profile has a hip anime-style portrait to round out the picture, but make no mistake: while the presentation is all style, the science is rock solid. The universe has never been so cool.

(SLE 2) Retells the story and adventures of Hercules, discusses the astronomical features of the constellation Hercules, and describes the history of the constellation and its myths in world culture. Part of a series that includes Cassiopeia, Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and others.

(SLE 2) Containing star charts, a guide to the constellations, and details about seasons and the movement of the objects we see in the sky, this classic book makes H. A. Rey's passion for astronomy evident on every page. New updates concentrate on the planetary and solar system information in the latter part of the book. Facts and figures for each planet have been revised, and new scientific information has been added, such as Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet. There's also a brand-new online resource that allows readers to track the positions of the planets in the night sky till the year 2100!

(SLE 11) The first person narration gives this book a friendly, personal feel that makes Galileo's remarkable achievements and ideas completely accessible to young readers. And Christensen's artwork glows with the light of the stars he studied. Galileo's contributions were so numerous--the telescope! the microscope!--and his ideas so world-changing--the sun-centric solar system!--that Albert Einstein called him "the father of modern science." But in his own time he was branded a heretic and imprisoned in his home. Engaging title to begin a discussion on technologies related to the study of the night sky.

(SLE 1) The fiery birth, explosive death, and strange afterlife of every sun. Scientists have discovered a tremendous variety of star types, each with a fascinating biography and a strange fate in store. Born in a cloud of gas and dust, a new star is ignited by the explosion of a dying star nearby. A star such as our Sun has a long life. Over billions of years, it burns yellow, then red, as it uses up its nuclear fuel. It then throws much of its material into the universe in a planetary nebula--one of the most spectacular sights in space. Using the most beautiful photos of space objects available, Harvard-trained astronomer Ken Croswell leads a tour of the stars--the young, the aging, and the dead but still active.

(SLE 7) Why is there no weather on the moon? Is there sound on the moon? Is it ever day on the moon? Why do astronauts bounce around on the moon? How old is the moon? From Apollo 11's first landing to the mystery of moonquakes and the genesis of craters, this stunning introduction to our nearest neighbor in space describes the moon and its all-important relationship to Earth. Mesmerizing full-color photography and an informative text perfect this exciting and educational journey in space.

(SLE 2) National Geographic's stunning rendition of the constellations' glittering lightshow is now available in paperback. Once Upon a Starry Night explains the ten ancient figures whose legends are written large across the universe. (SLE 2) Every page shines with Christina Balit's vibrant art, studded with shiny stars, and provides the perfect backdrop to Jacqueline Mittons poetic text.

(SLE 11) NASA has now sent a robot beyond our solar system, and another is on its way. Through detailed, fascinating main content and sidebars, readers learn about the process of creating the technology for the amazing Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes. Their unique features are described, and full-color photographs and illustrations further showcase the impressive abilities of these robots. Readers today could be the Voyager scientists of tomorrow.

(SLE 3) Guides readers through a day on Earth, clearly explaining the effect of Earth's rotation and orbit. Follows the sun from dawn to dusk to explain how light rays travel, how shadows are formed, how the moon lights up the night sky, and more.

(SLE 1) What does a row of tracks signify? What can we tell from an accumulation of twigs left behind in the crook of a tree? What are those squiggly marks in the sand? Animal Tracks and Signs gives young readers the knowledge and expertise to interpret these mysteries. This beautifully illustrated volume is a species-by-species guide to the clues left behind by over 400 animals on planet Earth. The inviting text helps readers identify what to look for when tracking animals (or imagining tracking them) in the wild or in the back yard: tracks and footprints; feeding signs; droppings and pellets; animal dens, nests, and hiding places; and other specific signs of animal behavior. The author also shares expert advice on how to observe animals in the wild anywhere in the world. Life-size illustrations of footprints (and droppings!) bring the wild alive on the page.

(SLE 3) Just like on CSI, readers will explore the crime lab and discover how detectives use scientific evidence to solve crimes. Find out how bloodstains, footprints, and fingerprints can lead police to catch criminals, and learn how specialists match trace evidence--such as a single hair found on a victim--to catch a murderer.

Crime Scene takes young readers behind the yellow tape, into the crime lab, and into the heads of investigators. As they study the whys and hows of connecting clues, suspects, and victims, budding sleuths learn how unique clues like tool marks and fibers can lead to irrefutable conclusions; how to detect fake money and forged documents; how faces are reconstructed from bare skulls; and how crime scenes can be surrounded by silent witnesses that speak volumes. Martha Newbigging’s witty illustrations enhance the book’s lively design, while readers’ curiosity is quenched with striking photos from the lab. A glossary of forensic specializations details the many different professionals that each case requires.

Beginning with Native American stories, this invaluable resource provides hands-on activities that inspire children to understand and appreciate Native American cultures and the Earth.

Gianna Z. has less than one week to collect twenty-five leaves for a science project, or else she might lose her spot at cross-country sectionals. Finishing her project will be enough of a hurdle, but with a grandmother who keeps losing her teeth, a father who drives her to school in the family hearse, and an arch-nemesis intent on stealing her spot on the team, Gianna will need a stroke of brilliance to make everything fall into place.