Entering Grade 5

Science

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All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World by Lori Alexander
Using the qualities of curiosity, ingenuity and persistence, Antony van Leeuwenhoek experimented with lenses to create microscopes and discovered a world of tiny creatures that could not be seen with the naked eye. This merchant, with no scientific education, then had to convince the scholars of the day that his amazing discovery was real. (nonfiction)
Eyewitness Explorer: Nature Ranger (Eyewitness Explorers) published by Dorling Kindersley
Learn about nature and the creatures all around you through the field-based activities and background information in this illustrated guide. (nonfiction)
The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science by Marc Aronson
Adrienne Mayor asked the question, “Could Griffins have been real?” Then she carefully studied ancient Greek and Roman descriptions, old maps, and the discoveries of modern dinosaur hunters to locate the answer in the Gobi desert. (nonfiction)
I Survived True Stories series by Lauren Tarshis
Book 2: Nature Attacks! I Survived True Stories
Four true stories of young people facing sharks, fires, killer jellyfish and a volcano. (nonfiction)
Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night by Mark Wilson
Have you wondered how owls hear so well? Would you like to have a conversation with a wild owl? Did you know owl eye colors can be bright orange, brown, or even blue? With amazing photographs and illustrations, Mark Wilson answers these questions and more. (nonfiction)
Ricky's Atlas: Mapping a Land on Fire by Judith L. Li
When Ricky and his mom travel to his Uncle’s ranch on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, they witness a violent thunderstorm that ignites a wildfire. This mix of fiction and science fact has amazing illustrations.
Scientists in the Field series by various authors, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World's Brightest Bird by Pamela S. Turner
Are you smarter than a crow?  Read about an experiment that asks a crow and a human 7-year-old to solve the same mental challenges. Join scientists as they make field observation of the New Caledonian crow, perhaps the world’s smartest bird and the only animal besides humans known to make and use hooked tools. (nonfiction)
This Book Stinks! Gross Garbage, Rotten Rubbish and the Science of Trash by Sarah Wassner Flynn
Photos, infographics and fabulous facts about what we throw away, ingenious ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and what kids can do to take action and rethink the things we throw away. (nonfiction)
The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow by Jan Thornhill
One of the most adaptable birds on Earth, house sparrows took advantage of humans' love for grains and eventually became such a poacher of human food, bounties were paid to get rid of them. Discover how this bird was involved in Ancient Egyptian rituals, stowed away aboard Roman vessels, and was targeted for elimination in the 1950s by Chairman Mao, leader of China. (nonfiction)