Biology: Life as We Know It!

Age range - probably 7 to adult. It is definitely not childish so a high school student would enjoy this as a reference as much as a 7 year old that is reading with an adult. This series of books is one of the best I've seen for sparking an interest and understanding of science. My 6 year old and I love to open the book to a random page to decide what we want to learn about that day. It provides enough information and covers the general principles so well that he is able to ask great questions I would expect from a much older child. It's allows him to acquire the necessary vocabulary for understanding videos, chapter books, and more in depth information we look up on the Internet after we've read the highlights as an introduction in one of the books in this series. I would equate it to watching School House Rock before watching a documentary so the child understands the main idea using both scientific terminology and a layman's explanation. If I were a science teacher I would start each new unit with an overview using this book to allow the students to see how each part makes up the whole and what the main ideas are. It's a wonderful supplement to more difficult books that will allow children to learn about whatever fascinates them no matter their age or education. It would also be a great tool for older kids when studying for a test. Instead of a boring definition dense with terminology they may find hard to remember, you get an illustration that will help you remember the terms and what they relate to and a couple of paragraphs that expand on the bullet points at the top of the page. By combining scientific terminology with layman's definitions, it is much easier to understand the terminology using context instead of rote memorization. These books never sit on a shelf in our home. They are always out where they are easy to pick up for a quick read and we often take them with us to restaurants, appointments, or anywhere waiting is involved to keep us entertained. You can cover one topic in a few minutes or a chapter or two if you have a bit more time. Each topic stands alone nicely so my son often picks it up reads a page or two throughout the day. My husband and I enjoy reading them as well and using them to answer questions. The way topics are grouped allows one to see how everything is interconnected without being overwhelming, it's a very logical progression. Each topic is covered by 2 pages; the first lists the primary "job" of the system being discussed and the second has a cartoon drawing of the system. I would equate it to superhero trading cards with a bit more in depth information. The pictures make each topic easier to remember and relate to and topics are grouped by function. Chapter 3 is Body Parts: the heart, red blood cell, B Cell (white blood cells aka B lymphocyte), T Cell, lungs, skeleton, muscle, brain, nervous system, etc. By making a blood cell a character with a job and describing the way he works with the lungs or another type of cell, the author has made complex and hard to imagine concepts "more real" and very accessible for those without much of a background in science. Right now our favorites are Biology and Rocks & Minerals. I usually use the book on Physics when I am trying to explain tough concepts (for a 6 yr old) that are hard to put into words he can understand. Gravity, acceleration, friction, mass, energy, atoms, or force are all concepts I had a tough time explaining using vocabulary he could really grasp. These books have sparked so many interesting conversations, helped with school projects (yes, they have projects in Kindergarten these days), and made watching the Discovery Channel so much more interesting to him because he understands key concepts and terminology. If he starts losing interest in something I know he would normally love because it's a bit dense with geek-speak, we just pause the TV and read a few pages in the related book, after a few minutes of reading he's asking questions and pointing out related facts he's learned from the book. The books definitely make science fun, accessible, and much more meaningful. It's made my son feel smart and capable which has drastically increased his confidence and made him enjoy school so much more. Many of the books come with a free poster.

I bought this book a year ago for my 7 and 10 yr old children. They still read and study it; in fact it is open on the arm of the sofa waiting for the reader to come back as I write. The characters in the book each represent an important concept and the page reads like a bio of that character explaining the character's importance, where s/he fits into the world as a whole and finishes with a few cool facts. The pages are creative and one cannot help but keep reading to meet more of the fascinating characters and learn how they relate to one another. The series (we own several titles) has opened my children's eyes to science topics other than the ones they already liked. And because they read them over and over again, the books have deepened their knowledge and understanding of each topic. I think the method of this book is the game changer- it is FUN! This book, and the series as a whole, has made my science reluctant 7 yr. old interested in technical topics. She realizes that science is fun, interesting, something she can do, and as fun as girly things like princesses- a big step at our house. She started with Basher's Biology because that was about cute things like animals and has since had the interest to read Physics, Astronomy, and the Periodic Table. My son read Physics and the Periodic Table first, because "those are serious topics," and has since discovered that Biology is serious and, dare I say, interesting and not gross. I am ordering three more titles today.

I originally bought this book for myself because I want to be able to understand and explain some higher level concepts about Biology to my younger children, but when it came in the mail, my 3 and 5 year old instantly claimed it! :) All of the topics are grouped according to similar features and then each vocabulary word is given one page with a subheading that gives a mini-explanation, followed by a thorough yet simple description that is written from the voice of the word being described including just the right amount of humor. The illustration for each vocabulary word humanizes it and includes a key to its definition. My 3 year old loved the pictures and we flipped through the book and I made voices for the different words. My 5 year old (who is reads surprisingly well) can read this to herself, but she likes it when I read it out loud. It's definitely over their heads in some ways, but I believe that if children are interested, they should be exposed to higher level concepts in a fun and entertaining way. The intended reading level is 8th grade I believe, but I can see kids and adults of all ages enjoying this amazing book. We have bought almost every book in this series now and I LOVE them all!

Excellent. The pictures are silly and simplistic but they hold a 3 year olds attention, and contains useful info for a science minded 12 year old. I would dial down the silly slightly and add a few realistic or real pictures for some of the material so the reader has a clearer picture of what they are learning, but difficult to strike a perfect balance here. Hard to find good kids science books. This is one of them.

We have a lot of the books in this collection and absolutely love them! Great quality and great information!

I highly recommend this book for any elementary aged child. It is not as thorough as a text or even a typical non-fiction book, but it introduces many basic ideas in a way that children will remember. I wasn't so sure about a science book with cartoons, but the first person text sold me. My daughter had an instant connection with the characters in the book, giving me confidence that she will remember them when she is old enough to learn about them in a more complex academic setting. Topics include the building blocks of life, classification of organisms, body parts, and parts of green shoots. I am giving this four stars instead of five because I feel like more thought could have been given to the organization of the book. Perhaps the main categories are too broad. For example, there are entries for the cell, mitochondria, DNA, and RNA, but not other cell parts such as the nucleus, cell walls/membranes, vacuoles, and so on. Overall, this is an entertaining and informative book well suited for children aged 6 to 12.

My son is 6 and is in first grade, but is slightly ahead of his class in terms of reading ability. He loved this book. Each page is the perfect length for his reading ability and attention span. He loved to quiz us by reading the 3 bullet points for each item and we'd have to guess what organism or body part he was reading about. I highly recommend this book to any kid with an interest in science and with some basic reading ability. Just be prepared to explain how to pronounce some of the words. We'll definitely be looking into more of these books.

I absolutely love these books. As a teacher I often use them in my junior high classroom as a reference tool, I even use them to make assignments & warm ups. I have also redrawn some of the characters for posters to hang in my class as content posters! Not to mention all the books come with a poster of various characters from the books as well. These are an easy read for young and old science lovers (and even science haters). Because they personify the topics it makes them easier for my students to learn and remember the topics. BUY IT!

Very good book for kids.

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