The following is a list of recommended books that provide a wide range of reading and research resources for this unit. Collect as many as you can for your classroom science library, or provide the list to your school or local librarian.
By Dia L. Michels; illustrated by Andrew Barthelmes. (2001, Platypus Media)
With one chapter devoted to each of 14 different mammals, this book tells about how each featured species is born, eats, grows, learns, and matures. Each chapter is told from the point of view of the baby mammal and is filled with fascinating facts.
By Sally Hewitt; illustrated by Stuart Squires and Tony Kenyon. (2000, Millbrook Press)
Focuses on the various aspects of life cycles of plants, animals, and people and suggests hands-on experiments to support an understanding of each aspect.
By Paul Fleisher. (1996, Millbrook Press)
Compares and contrasts the life cycles of twelve animals, including the opossum, bullfrog, and jellyfish. This book might be too advanced for some second graders to read by themselves, but works well when read aloud to the class.
By David L. Rice; illustrated by Michael S. Maydak. (1997, Dawn Publications)
Introduces some of nature’s longest, shortest, and most unusual life cycles. This book is included in the kit.
By Bobby Kalman and Jacqueline Langille. (1998, Crabtree Publishing)
Introduces the life cycles of plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds, mammals, and humans , and discusses their birth, growth, parental care, and reproduction.
Scholastic First Encyclopedia (1995, Scholastic Inc.)
Covers basic questions a young child may have about his or her physical, emotional, and social environment, with an emphasis on the stages of growing up.
By Seymour Simon (1997, William Morrow Books)
This book offers a closer look at the brain and masterfully conveys its complexity and capacity. Contains many pictures, models, and diagrams. Ages 6 and up.
By Sally Hewitt. (1998, Children’s Press)
This book covers the changes that occur in humans from birth to adulthood. Includes many photographs that document the stages of human life.
By Joan Sweeney; illustrated by Annette Cable. (1999, Crown Publishers)
A simple introduction to the workings of the human body with relevant references to the brain, bones, and human needs.
By Joan Sweeney; illustrated by Annette Cable. (1999, Crown Publishers)
A child uses a family tree to explain how the members of her extended family are related.
By Patricia Lauber; illustrated by Holly Keller. (1994, HarperCollins Juvenile Books; 1999, Econo-Clad Books)
Through simple language and illustrations, this book discusses the importance of trees as sources of food, shelter, products, and conservers of soil. Explains the process of photosynthesis—how trees make food in their leaves and release the oxygen we breathe—step by step.
By Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Robin Brickman. (1997, Simon & Schuster)
Winner of the 2000 Giverny Award for best children’s science picture book, this book tells the story of a decaying log, from the time lightning strikes the tree to the time the log turns into a mound of rich black earth. Children have the opportunity to watch the life cycle of a tree unfold. Lyrical text is complemented by full-color, paper-sculpture, and photo illustrations.
By Joanna Cole; illustrated by Kazue Mizumura. (1973, Thomas Crowell Company)
Written by the author of the Magic School Bus books, this book gives a clear and concise explanation of how different types of plants cope with winter.
By Gail Gibbons. (1988, Voyager Books)
A playful story reinforcing the changes that occur in an apple tree throughout the seasons. Arnold enjoys his apple tree in the spring (buds and blossoms); the summer (sheltering leaves); the fall (tasty apples), and the winter (its bare branches hold strings of popcorn and berries for the birds). Full-color illustrations.
By Aliki. (1971, Aladdin Library)
Classic American tale of how apple trees were spread across the frontier by one simple and peaceful man who became a model of patriotism and good will. The oil pastel illustrations are well matched to the text and, like many books of its day, alternate between color and black-and-white illustrations. A great introduction to the genre of tall tales.
By Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Jim Daly. (2000, Lothrop Lee & Shepard)
Recounts memories of a family’s tradition of tapping maple syrup. Lively writing and crisp, colorful illustrations add to this story of how trees make and store sap in the winter.
By Gail Gibbons. (2002, Little Brown and Co.)
Tell Me, Tree is a guide to the wide variety of trees that surround us. It describes different kinds of trees and how to identify them, and presents the many parts of a tree, inside and outside, with cutaway illustrations and labels. Also includes an explanation of photosynthesis and a special section on how to make a tree identification book of your own.
By Andres Llamas Ruiz; illustrated by Francisco Arredondo. (1997, Sterling Publications)
Part of a series designed to teach children about natural life cycles. Focuses on trees as living organisms that are born, eat, breathe, grow, and reproduce. Includes some descriptions of tree structure.
By Gail Saunders-Smith. (1997, Pebble Books)
In simple text and photographs, this book describes planting, growing, picking, and eating green beans.
By David Burnie. (1997, Dorling Kindersley)
Describes the physical characteristics and life cycles of flowers, including garden flowers, woodland flowers, and desert flowers. Offers clear photographs of flowers and their environments.
By Gail Gibbons. (1991, Holiday House)
Starts by explaining that seeds are different shapes, sizes and colors, and all grow into the same kind of plant that made them. Describes the parts of flowers, and the various ways seeds disperse.
By Bobby Kalman. (1996, Crabtree Publishing)
A clear introduction to the life cycle of plants, illustrated with color photographs. Cross-sectional views show a bean plant’s roots developing as its leaves and stems grow above the surface.
By Helene J. Jordan. (1992, Harper Collins)
An appropriate guide for young children on how to grow and care for newly planted seeds.
By Joanna Cole; illustrated by Bruce Degen. (1996, Scholastic)
It’s a perfect spring day and Ms. Frizzle decides it’s time to observe honeybees. The children become bees and learn what they need to do to survive and get along with real bees.
By Joanna Cole. (1995, Scholastic)
The class decides to plant a garden, and Ms. Frizzle takes them on a zany trip back to Phoebe’s old school where they learn about the life cycles of plants and how living things grow.
By Anne Rockwell; illustrated by Megan Halsey. (1999, Walker & Co.)
Starting with a hand showing a single bean, this book journeys full circle from soaking, planting, and watering beans, to flowering, harvesting, and eating them.
By Sally Hewitt. (1999, Children’s Press)
Discusses the elements that make plants grow, the structure of flowering plants, and the way they reproduce. Includes experiments and activities.
By Ruth Heller. (1999, Dawn Publications)
Brief rhyming text and lavish illustrations clearly explain pollination, plant reproduction, and the purpose of a flower. This book is included in the kit.
By Judy Delton; illustrated by Alan Tiegreen. (1989, Young Yearling)
One of a series of stories about the Pee Wee Scouts, this chapter book is appropriate for confident second grade readers. The Pee Wee Scouts are learning about gardens and the vitamins and nutrition in vegetables. They plant seeds and watch very carefully to see which sprouts first.
By Leo Lionni. (1987, Knopf Paperback)
A fish and a tadpole are friends. The tadpole changes into a frog while the fish is left behind in the pond. The story gives an elegant contrast between metamorphic (frog) and non-metamorphic (fish) life cycles.
By John Himmelman. (1999, Children’s Press)
This picture book provides a description of the stages in the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. It also tells the story of the monarch’s long migratory journey.
By Hans Christian Anderson (many versions in and out of print)
This famous folktale of the ugly child who grows into a beautiful adult, while not actually a biological metamorphosis, conveys a related meaning of the term metamorphosis—the idea of transformation through personal growth.
By Eric Carle. (1983, Putnam Publishing Group Juvenile)
This beautifully illustrated book follows a ravenous caterpillar’s feeding frenzy through the days of the week. This is a nice butterfly metamorphosis story to share with young readers.
By Lois Ehlert. (2001, Harcourt, Inc.)
This beautifully illustrated and creatively designed book shows the life cycle and survival needs of a butterfly from its inception as an egg to its final stage as an adult laying its own eggs. At the end of the book, there are colorful illustrations of a wide variety of butterflies as well the flowers they like to feast on.