Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - learning about germs and the coronavirus - 5.19.21

Germs.  We probably know more about germs than we have ever wanted to.  But young readers might have a lot of questions about germs, what they do, and how illnesses can be prevented.  Here are some books that will help answer some questions!


Germs Up Close by Sara   Levine
Germs Up Close
by Sara Levine
This book is a great place to start talking about germs and learning more about them.  The book breaks them down into four types of germs that cause illnesses.  The photographs show what these germs look like under a microscope.  Levine breaks each of them down and explains what they are, the bad parts and even good parts about them, and details some of the more well known versions of those germs.  Included at the end when discussing viruses is COVID-19.  Levine also gives ways to prevent germs from spreading, including mask wearing and vaccinations.

June Almeida, Virus Detective! by Suzanne Slade
June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus
written by Suzanne Slade
illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
While COVID-19 is new to us, the coronavirus is not new at all.  Many of may remember the SARS virus that was a concern in the early 2000s.  However, coronavirus was actually first discovered in 1964, by a woman!  
Slade lays out the life of June Almeida and her love for science from when she was a young girl.  We learn how her plans to study were sidelined, yet she was able to follow her passion and find work that would allow her to fuel her love of science.  And thank goodness it did because the work she did  from 1947 to the 1980s is making an impact today.

A Shot in the Arm! by Don  Brown
Shot in the Arm!
by Don Brown
This is part of the "Big Ideas That Changed the World" series and it couldn't be published at a better time.  Of course the info about the COVID-19 vaccine is already out of date in this book, the important part is understanding the history of vaccines.  This graphic novel takes a look at where vaccines originated, and what is interesting is you can see where some of the science from those original vaccines are still used today!  Definitely a book you'll want in a grade 3-8 library!


Coming soon!  I'm looking forward to:

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor
Dr. Fauci:  How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America's Doctor
written by Kate Messner
illustrated by Alexandra Bye
publishing June 29th


And a book I reviewed earlier, post here:

The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine
The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine
written by Linda Elovitz Marshall
illustrated by Lisa Anchin

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