Water

September 1, 2020
Grades 3-5 The Elemental Earth series (4 titles) takes a holistic approach to its subjects, presenting the science behind earth, air, water, and fire; their life-giving and destructive properties; and their spiritual aspects, as evidenced in ancient mythologies and modern celebrations. Each volume uses the same introduction, placing its subject within the context of ancient Greek belief (i.e., four elements comprise the world) and modern science's refinement of this philosophy. While this sounds heavy, the text is quite accessible, keeping its information clear and succinct. Visually, images?photographs and diagrams or infographics?dominate the page and its text is parsed into small blocks, two or three per page. Unsurprisingly, the water cycle and oceanic zones are touched upon in Water, but H2O-oriented celebrations, such as the Songktan Festival in Thailand, add unexpected interest. The mix of high-interest sections (extreme weather or natural disasters) and clearly explained scientific concepts make these books great first introductions to earth science.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)