Education | Page 11 of 41

An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language, is the unsaid, muddied truth

The vast majority of people muddle on purpose or accidentally, twist their day-to-day communication. Sometimes it’s quite innocuous, it’s those other times when people or organizations leave things unsaid or pepper their language with certain phrases that make things opaque. An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language is a book that looks at euphemisms, spin, bias, or things that are not said in arguments, in order to persuade people. It’s a very smart book that logic-based people will love reading. The subtitle is Learn To Hear What’s Left Unsaid, and if you can hear the opinions or direction that a conversation is trying to lead you in then this book will speak to you.

An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language is a grammar book on semantics and subtle inferences that are used all the time, here’s what to look for.

When you hear things, are you leading, being led or unaware of the fact?

When Plants Took Over The Planet, smart illustrated young STEM

We have a dinosaur tree in our front yard. It’s my favorite tree, having said that, I don’t know any people who have a preference for their tree. When Plants Took Over The Planet is an illustrated book that will really grow on STEM kids, plant geeks, science students, dinosaur people, or just those who want to be entertained while learning about plant evolution.

When Plants Took Over The Planet is an illustrated book that offers a deep dive-at an approachable level, about the evolution of plants.

Fear not the smart illustrated book meant for elementary school readers

The World Book, world nugget stats for upper elementary

At work, for the past three weeks, I’ve been helping fourth and fifth-grade students craft and edit informational powerpoints. They’ve run the gamut of the usual suspects that any 10 or nine-year-old would find interesting. However, there were a couple of the students that really took the assignment one step further. These were the students that researched little-known topics that they were passionate about, as well as, those kids who were doing subjects that they simply wanted to know more about. Specifically, there was a student who writing about the history of Nintendo and one who was doing Egyptology. The World Book is a reference book that balances illustrations with elementary-aged content in a way that can provide a slightly deeper dive into countries, in addition to introducing students to new areas of Earth.

The World Book explores stats and 411 from every country in a way that introduces many of them and adds information to some.

This is geography catnip for elementary school kids

A Man Called Horse, makes pre-Civil War Seminole history approachable

Even when you’re finished attending school, you’re never done learning. A Man Called Horse is non-fiction proof to that for us, as well as, most people who will read the book. Despite having lived in Florida for half a decade I never knew anything about the Seminole. It’s very likely that resident Floridians know the basics about the Seminole Indians. However, I had no idea of the complex history that the region had in the early 1800s. What’s impressive about A Man Called Horse is how simple and concise author Glennette Tilley Turner makes the material.

A Man Called Horse is about John Horse, a Black Seminole in the pre-Civil War era, his tumultuous life and the chaotic times then.

Non-fiction on an era most middle school students know nothing about

A Day In The Life of A Poo, A Gnu and You is a go-to STEM reference

Everything old is new again. That phrase comes to mind when realizing some of the great books that came out during the pandemic that didn’t receive the attention that they deserve. A Day In The Life Of A Poo, A Gnu, and You, a Laugh-Out-Loud Guide to Life on Earth is one of those books. It’s as big as an illustrated book, yet has the depth and weight of a reference book, but has more colors and graphics than some comic books or graphic novels. As if the book is attempting to pile on its brownie points, it’s educational, funny, ridiculously entertaining, and wait for it….one that kids will really want to read.

A Day In The Life of A Pooh is at the intersection of comic book, reference material, large-form graphic novel, and humor mag that’s been given a STEM jacket to wear.

The intersection of comic/graphic novel/reference, funny book

Inside In, is hypnotic photo-oriented STEM for six and up

Kids are inherently curious and that’s a fact that applies to every child regardless of age. Rare is the book that makes middle school and elementary school students equally curious. Either the book is too simple for older readers, too advanced for younger readers, has content that’s in-between the two demographics or simply just is not interesting. Inside In is a book that immediately grabs the attention of kids aged six through 14 and even north of that. It’s a coffee table book for STEM-minded folks, as well as, those who simply like to take their mind on a trip. The subtitle of the book, X-Rays of Nature’s Hidden World, gives you the immediate reason as to why kids will be engrossed in it.

Inside In sounds like a typo, instead, it’s a photo-centric book on X-Rays and how they can show the art of things hidden in plain sight.

Art by another nam is just an x-Ray

Kind-of green is great too, here are some go-to ways to get it done

Want to make a switch toward more organic living, but not interested in going totally green? I get that! I was in the same position, so I came up with ideas to help me live more sustainably in manageable ways.

Cut Down On Your Waste

While we’d all love to have solar panels on our home and live without an electric bill, it just isn’t feasible. There are smaller changes that you can make in your life that will help cut down on the fossil fuels that your family creates. A big way to help the environment is to cut down on your waste. Stop using plastic grocery bags, and definitely quit throwing them in the trash. Make a conscious effort to recycle. Find ways to use your leftovers versus simply throwing them away. Consider starting your own compost pile! It may even motivate you to start the garden you’ve been dreaming of having.

Kind-of green is great too, here are some easy, go-to ways to get it done

A little green is better than no green at all

Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts lights up international myths

Parents of a certain age will remember going to Spencer’s. It was the cool store where you could find those pop-culture items, Greg Brady beads, and blacklight posters. Spencer’s is still around, we have one at our local mall, but the teens we know don’t have as magical an impression as we did with it back in the day. To an extent, Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts is a book that channels aspects of that black light magic. It’s an immersive seek-and-find illustrated book that looks at worldwide mythology, putting them on display using the UV flashlight it comes with.

Magical Creatures and Mythical Beasts is a book that shows you worldwide mythical creatures when the supplied UV light is shown on the pages.

Myths and beasts there be in plain sight ya see