Summer Reading 2021: Lower School

---

*Great for rising 4s!*

---

Earth is full of life! All living things grow--plants, animals, and human beings. The way they grow, whether it be fast or slow, enormous or not so big, helps them survive. But growing is also about change: when people grow, they become more complicated and able to do more things. And they don't have to think about it, because bodies come with instructions, or DNA. With simple, engaging language and expressive, child-friendly illustrations, Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton provide an introduction to genetic code and how it relates to families to make us all both wonderfully unique and wholly connected to every living thing on earth.

In the launch of a new nonfiction picture book series, Rachel Ignotofsky's distinctive art style and engaging, informative text clearly answers any questions a child (or adult) could have about flowers. Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers-from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

Based on a real scientific event and inspired by a beloved real human in the author's life, this is a story about science and the poetry of existence; about time and chance, genetics and gender, love and death, evolution and infinity -- concepts often too abstract for the human mind to fathom, often more accessible to the young imagination; concepts made fathomable in the concrete, finite life of one tiny, unusual creature dwelling in a pile of compost amid an English garden. Emerging from this singular life is a lyrical universal invitation not to mistake difference for defect and to welcome, across the accordion scales of time and space, diversity as the wellspring of the universe's beauty and resilience.

On the Pacific Coast of North America, sea otters play, dive, and hunt for sea urchins, crabs, abalone, and fish in the lush kelp forests beneath the waves. But there was a time when people hunted the otters almost to extinction. Without sea otters to eat them, an army of hungry sea urchins grew and destroyed entire kelp forests. Fish and other animals that depended on the kelp were lost, too. But when people protected the sea otters with new laws, their numbers began to recover, and so did the kelp forests. Susannah Buhrman-Deever offers a beautifully written account of a trophic cascade, which happens when the removal of a single element affects an entire habitat.

Most eight-year-olds are about five times as tall as this book . . . but only half as tall as an ostrich, which is half as tall as a giraffe . . . twenty times smaller than a California Redwood! How do they compare to the tallest buildings? To Mt. Everest? To stars, galaxy clusters, and . . . the universe? Jason Chin, the award-winning author and illustrator of Grand Canyon has once again found a way to make a complex subject accessible and understandable to readers of all ages. Meticulously researched and featuring the highly detailed artwork for which he is renowned, this is How Much is a Million for the new millenium.

Check out this eBook through the Chapin Library
Check out this eBook through HVLA
Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

Drawn from author Kao Kalia Yang's childhood experiences as a Hmong refugee, this moving picture book portrays a family with a great deal of love and little money. Weaving together Kalia's story with that of her beloved grandmother, the book moves from the jungles of Laos to the family's early years in the United States. When Kalia becomes unhappy about having to do without and decides she wants braces to improve her smile, it is her grandmother--a woman who has just one tooth in her mouth--who helps her see that true beauty is found with those we love most. Stunning illustrations from Vietnamese illustrator Khoa Le bring this intergenerational tale to life.

Check out this eBook through HVLA
Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

In the late 19th century, there wasn't much hope for premature babies--until Dr. Couney developed the incubator. The device was so new and strange, hospitals rejected it. So Dr. Couney set up a sideshow at Coney Island, taking care of the tiniest newborns as part of a display to convince the public that incubators worked. Thousands of babies grew into healthy children as Boardwalk Babies, including Dr. Couney's own premature daughter. Many of those babies came back as adults to thank the doctor for his miracle cures. Science meets magic show in this fascinating true story.

Meet Mars! The red planet. Planet Marvelous. Favorite sibling of Earth (or so he claims). Sometimes they're close (just 34.5 million miles apart). Sometimes they need space (250 million miles apart)! Earth and Mars have a lot in common--clouds, mountains, polar icecaps. And while Earth has Earthlings, Mars makes a persuasive case for why people should make the journey to spend time with him. His day is 7 minutes longer! He is home to the largest volcano in the whole solar system. He's, well, marvelous. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Mars in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

---

Great for rising 4s!

---

On June 23, 2018, twelve young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon's adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out. The boys are trapped! Before long, news of the missing team spreads, launching a seventeen-day rescue operation involving thousands of rescuers from around the globe. As the world sits vigil, people begin to wonder: how long can a group of ordinary kids survive in complete darkness, with no food or clean water? Luckily, the Wild Boars are a very extraordinary "ordinary" group. Combining firsthand interviews of rescue workers with in-depth science and details of the region's culture and religion, author Christina Soontornvat--who was visiting family in Northern Thailand when the Wild Boars went missing--masterfully shows how both the complex engineering operation above ground and the mental struggles of the thirteen young people below proved critical in the life-or-death mission.

Check out this eBook through HVLA
Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

See what the buzz is about in this fresh, fun look at insect anatomy.

Let's build an insect! In the pages of this book, you'll find a workshop filled with everything you need, including a head, a thorax, an abdomen, and much more. Written by entomologist Roberta Gibson and accompanied by delightfully detailed illustrations by Anne Lambelet, this wonderfully original take on insect anatomy will spark curiosity and engage even those who didn't think they liked creepy, crawly things!

Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

Discover the wonder that lies hidden among the roots, above the winding rivers, and under the emerald leaves of the rainforest. Features animals like the slender parrot snake to the blue morpho butterfly; the canopies, where toucans and pale-billed woodpeckers chatter and call; the capuchin monkeys who swing from vines; and slow-moving sloths who wait out daily thunderstorms. Under the canopy of the rainforest hundreds of animals make their homes, but up in the leaves hides another world.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

---

Great for rising 4s!

---

Do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Why not work as a babysitter . . . for sloths? Or become a farmer . . . of corpses? You might even grow up to be someone who gets paid to actually sleep on the job! From taste testers to dinosaur dusters, there are all kinds of incredible jobs that you've probably never heard of -- and one of them might be just right for you!

On the island of Koh Panyee, in a village built on stilts, there is no open space. How will a group of Thai boys play soccer? After watching the World Cup on television, a group of Thai boys is inspired to form their own team. But on the island of Koh Panyee, in a village built on stilts, there is no open space. The boys can play only twice a month on a sandbar when the tide is low enough. Everything changes when the teens join together to build their very own floating soccer field.

A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet! Apis builds wax comb to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. And finally, she begins her new life as an adventurer. The confining walls of the hive fall away as Apis takes to the air, finally free, in a brilliant double-gatefold illustration where the clear blue sky is full of promise-- and the wings of dozens of honeybees, heading out in search of nectar to bring back to the hive.

Check out this eBook through HVLA
Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

The rolling hills and lush climate of Kent, England are home to many creatures. These creatures are fluffy, sneaky, spikey, and ... small, like the bee. Though bees are small, their importance is BIG. Today there are over 250,000 species of bees but all of them are in danger. Because of disease, pesticide exposure, lack of foraging habitats, and poor nutrition, entire honey bee hives are dying. What would happen if bees disappeared completely? Artist Lily Williams explores how such a loss would effect not just bees' environment, but the world as a whole in this poignant, beautiful book about the importance of our most important bees.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library

From Ashima Shiraishi, one of the world's youngest and most skilled climbers, comes a true story of strength and perseverance--in rock climbing and in life. To a rock climber, a boulder is called a "problem," and you solve it by climbing to the top. There are twists and turns, falls and scrapes, and obstacles that seem insurmountable until you learn to see the possibilities within them. And then there is the moment of triumph, when there's nothing above you but sky and nothing below but a goal achieved. Ashima Shiraishi draws on her experience as a world-class climber in this story that challenges readers to tackle the problems in their own lives and rise to greater heights than they would have ever thought possible.

Check out this eBook through the Chapin Library
Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

This is the story of Sundar Paliwal, who is from a small Indian village ruled by ancient customs. As he grows to be a man, Sundar suffers much heartbreak and decides it is time for change to come to his village. Sundar is determined to live in a place where girls are valued as much as boys and where the land is not devastated by irresponsible mining. Sundar's plan? To celebrate the birth of every girl with the planting of 111 trees. Though many villagers resist at first, Sundar slowly gains their support. And today, there are over a quarter of a million trees in his village, providing food, water and opportunities for women to earn a living. His efforts have turned a once barren and deforested landscape into a fertile and prosperous one where girls can thrive.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library

The beautiful Kamehameha butterfly lives in Hawaii and nowhere else on Earth. Named to honour the great king who united the Hawaiian Islands, the butterfly is one of only two species native to Hawaii. After the Kamehameha butterfly became the state insect - thanks to a group of fifth graders - people noticed that the butterflies were disappearing. So a team of dedicated professional and citizen scientists began working together to restore the butterfly's natural habitat and reintroduce butterflies in places where they were once found.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library

Great for rising 4s!

Science meets real-life mystery in this adventurous look at incredible unexpected finds that changed history. Secret treasures are buried all around us -- you just have to look for them!

Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

Bones: An Inside Look at the Animal Kingdom takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the biological history of the skeletal system in the animal kingdom. With sections focusing on different abilities and features, from biting and flying to jaws, tails, and more, this exciting collection explains how animals' amazing bodies have adapted to allow them to do so many different things.

"What is a river?" an inquisitive young girl asks her grandmother as the pair sits together on the river's banks. Like many questions posed by curious children, this one is deceptively simple in its asking. Yet, its answer spans the very world itself: geography and history, science and religion, industry and environmentalism. Through author-illustrator Monika Vaicenaviciene--'s eyes, the river becomes a vessel for enormous complexity, a lens through which the interconnectedness of our shared earth can be understood.

Adapted from the adult title Microsculpture, this book for young readers is a unique photographic study of insects in mind-blowing magnification that celebrates the wonders of nature and science. Levon Biss's photographs capture in breathtaking detail the beauty of the insect world and are printed in large-scale formats to provide an unforgettable viewing experience. The book also features an all-new, kid-friendly text from acclaimed science writer Gregory Mone, who brings the insects to life for young readers with plenty of humor and fascinating facts.

---

Great for rising 4s!

---

This children's book, prefaced by Mireille Harper, introduces children to prominent Black people in history such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King. The timelines have been individually commissioned, with the stunning visual designs reflecting the essence of that particular historical person. This visual reflection will compel children to investigate further and understand world history and the important roles Black people played in shaping it.

Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

Around the world, bridges, tunnels, and highways are constantly being built to help people get from one place to another. But what happens when construction spreads over, under, across, and through animal habitats? Thankfully, groups of concerned citizens, scientists, engineers, and construction crews have come together to create wildlife crossings to help keep animals safe. From elk traversing a wildlife bridge across a Canadian interstate to titi monkeys using rope bridges over a Costa Rican road to salamanders creeping through tiny tunnels beneath a Massachusetts street, young readers are certain to be delighted and inspired by these ingenious solutions that are saving the lives of countless wild animals.

Check out this eBook through the Brooklyn Public Library
Check out this eBook through the New York Public Library
Check out this eBook through the Queens Public Library

---

Great for rising 4s!

---

A Shot in the Arm is the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious disease. Beginning with smallpox--perhaps humankind's greatest affliction to date--and concluding with an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown traces the evolution of vaccines and examines deadly diseases such as measles, polio, anthrax, rabies, cholera, and influenza. The book is narrated by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who historically popularized inoculation in England in the early 18th century. Brown covers the science behind how our immune systems work, the discovery of bacteria, and major achievements from scientists like Louis Pasteur, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology."

---

Great for rising 4s!

---

What's your favorite animal--a majestic lion, a graceful horse? Those are great choices, but have you considered the fangtooth moray eel? It has two rows of icicle-shaped teeth! And the monkey slug caterpillar is ready to cuddle . . . just look out for the stingers all over its body (and its six limbs that technically aren't legs)! It's true, these animals are a little different--but their unusual features often give them incredible superpowers. Take the nearly blind star-nosed mole: Its pink, shaped nose can detect the microscopic texture of everything it touches, and it does this at warp speed--up to 12 objects per second! What's more, many of these weird, wonderful creatures need our help: They're endangered, and we can't afford to ignore their well-being any longer. It's time to find a peculiar creature to love! Why not the blobfish?